Arc 3: The Cursed Heart of Steel
by DeafLizgon
Summary: In 3rd Arc, the crisis of the true beast coming to the edge, will Xiaolin and Heylin stop their friend from slaughter innocence lives? Who is the "lost cause" as the masters spoke of? Find out and please R&R!
1. Prologue I

Disclaimer: I do not own Xiaolin Showdown and its characters… But I own my characters and wu(s).

Me: While it's in prologue, I'll tell you the long story of the sly, trickster-like Kyoto dialect-accent child/teen/adult known as "Gluttony" and his true name was Maijra… You'll understand the reason how he ends up being like this for fifteen hundred years.

Welcome to the **Medieval** era and the **Zhou Dynasty** era… Both in Europe and in China's time line, so let's take us back into the ancient flashback of that era that takes you 1500 years ago!

Enjoy, folks!

* * *

…

…

…

_Once when it was over fifteen hundred years ago, there was a boy whom was living in a white castle on the cliff… He was a youngest prince between his two older brothers, Keiji and Akira. _

_On that day… when the young prince rang the bell within the church the first time on his first family tradition to become a true prince…until the tragedy strike. _

--

"_Sankou Maijra…"_

_The boy breathed heavily, his eyes closed tighter as the blood dripping from his forehead where he had gotten a hit. _

_Bump…_

_Bump…_

_Bump…_

"_I, who bear the chain of hell… shall now pass judgement upon thou…"_

_He looked up through his bangs, narrowing his half closed eyes at the shadow figure stood before him. "Haa… Haa…" He wheezed painfully, his arms stretching behind his back and locked by the iron chain._

_Bump…_

_Bump…_

_Bump…_

_The dead body laying on the floor near him and the dead eyes staring accusingly at him, silently screaming and cursing at him. How can _you_ do this to me!?_

_The shadow figure takes a black glove off his hand and reaching out to the boy._

"_**Your Sin Is…"**_

_Bump…_

_Bump…_

_The shadow's bare hand takes the hold of the boy's hair and gripped him backward, forcing him to look at the very eyes of the deadly figure. _

"…_**Your Very Existence."**_

_Bum…_

_Bu…_

_Crackle—_

--

* * *

**The Cursed Heart of Steel**

**Arc 3**

— _The Rebirth of Gluttony __—_

**Prologue I**

So an twenty-four hour earlier before the death of the Sankou Family…

_Someone once said, "That place is engulfed in darkness." – however…_

"Young Master!!" The fifteen years old male servant wailed waving his arms wildly, seeing a fifteen years old child had climbed even higher on the tree, the young master who had heard his title and looked down at his childhood friend with a confused look on his face.

"Yah?" The Prince asked tilting his head to left, smirking curiously down at the panicking servant. "What is it, Renjiro-kun?"

The young servant, Renjiro, was born in the servant-like family that serves the Sankou family for a century. He had befriended a youngest child of the three sons in the Sankou family for five years.

_That does in no way mean…_

"The Mistress is searching for you, young master!" Renjiro called up through his hands cupped his mouth to the small master on the branch. "You must come down before she finds you! She'll kill me for that!"

…_that there was never any light._

The prince smirked deviously, "Oh? Tell the mistress I'm with Lady Syuzuka at the lake or somewhere, Renjiro." Seeing the horror look on his servant/best friend, he smirked even widely as he bounced off the branches and disappeared into the bush with a deceitful laugh, leaving a gaping servant alone in the garden.

"Renjiro!" The mistress called suddenly at the doorway that connected to the garden, startling poor the servant. "There you are!"

"Yes?" Renjiro froze, sweating heavily as he peered over to the scary mistress. His heart was beating wildly as the mistress stalked up to him and gripped his shoulders with her claw-like nailed hands.

"You're the servant who is always with the young master, so you should know!" The Mistress hissed furiously, shaking poor young boy servant. "Where's young Master Maijra hiding?" She demanded, as the black cloud grew darker and darker behind her, as the servant sense a threatening atmosphere in the air.

Sweating heavily more, Renjiro twitched. "Huh?"

He gulped, lifting his hands in defense and stepped backward from her. "Mistress Tora, what on earth happened with the young master?" He asked almost warily of the black cloud behind the mistress, silently cursing the devious master in his thought.

Stopped shaking the servant, the mistress answered. "It's almost time for the party, and I can't find him anywhere!" And then she suddenly froze, as her hands flew to her face and gasped dramatically.

"Don't tell me!" She shrieked, surprising poor servant again. "He's planning to boycot today!"

Sweatdropped, Renjiro fidgeted nervously and his eyes darted to left and right. "We… Well, I actually haven't seen the young master since after breakfast…" He lied right through his clenched teeth, smiling barely innocently at the mistress.

Perked up at the servant's tone, the mistress smiled non-less gentle at the servant and pushed her glasses slowly back on her nose. "That reminds me, Renjiro." As Renjiro tensed at the sound of his name called from her tone, almost afraid to find out what the mistress was thinking.

"I heard a little something from the young master…" Mistress Tora said smiling almost evilly, reaching behind her back for something. "He said you _absolutely_ can't stand the cats, right?" She said evilly, holding the half-looking innocent little kitty in the front suddenly at the now terrified servant.

Suddenly more threatening atmosphere in the air, the cloud spreading darker and darker while the evil laughing of the mistress, and the nervous female servants behind her as the poor victim froze, sweating all over his face.

"Mrooooooow…" The white kitty meowed innocently at the almost stone-like servant.

"Eeeeekk! THE LAKE!" Renjiro shrieked, backing up from the kitty. "He and the young Lady Syuzuka were headed toward the lake!"

"Ho! Ho! Ho! The Lake, is it?" Mistress Tora snickered evilly, dropping the white kitty on the floor as she and her two female servants quickly leaves out of the garden in the search of the young master at the lake.

_Pat! _The little kitty hopped on the floor on her feet perfectly graceful, purring softly. Renjiro can hear the woman's voice from distance. "Well! Let's go and catch him, then!"

Clinging on the stone wall until the scary woman was gone, the servant slides downward to the floor with a huge sigh of relief. _That was scary…_

The little kitty crawled under the bushes with a loud meow to its beloved owner as the soft snickering can be heard from the bushes.

Renjiro remains in the emo state near the corner, he called out to the bushes. "Young Master…" He twitched; his face paled still not recovering from his fear of cats. "…Stop playing around and please come out now."

Suddenly, the boot shoved out of the bushes and the young master appeared laughing, picking the twits and leaves off from his dark blue hair. "HA! HA! HA! HA! HA!" Maijra guffawed picking up the white kitty and holding her in his arms. "Good work, Renjiro!"

Renjiro the servant rolled into a ball, looking horrified. "Aaahh… Mistress Tora is going to be mad…" He whimpered, clutching his head in panic and sweating fearfully.

"Hehe!" Maijra bounced over the poor servant, holding the meowing of a happy white kitty in his hands. "That sure is rough, Renjiro!"

Renjiro whimpered.

"All right!" Maijra looked at his little white kitty, grinning happily. "Today, let's trying taking a look at the forbidden part of the garden out back!" As the boy began to run, holding his precious pet.

"Hmm…" The voice suddenly said curiously, "So you were hiding here?"

**GRAB!**

Maijra was grabbed by his collar from the behind, looking surprised. "?!"

**YANK!**

Renjiro was yanked by the same thing from the behind, looking shocked. "Ah?!"

"Looks like I've caught a pair of bad, little brats!" Both of the boys looked up in horror at the older man with a sly grin, wearing the old glasses in a loose white suit and black leather pant.

"Uncle!" Maijra cried in disbelief.

"Master!" Renjiro cried in distress.

The old man grinned, holding the boys by the collar in the air.

--

Meanwhile…

_Tick… Tock… Tick…_

The old father clock rang hollowly, its bell swinging back and forward slowly as the white kitty played with her favorite yellow spring ball.

"Seriously, you two…" Maijra's Uncle sighed heavily, sitting against the window couch and glanced over at the quiet, sulking boys on the couch. "You really shouldn't do things that will worry the housekeepers."

"But!" Maijra laughed, relaxing into the white couch pillow. "They are even more uptight than usual, so I couldn't help but want to mess with them."

"Haha!" Maijra's Uncle chuckled loudly, lit up his cancer stick and blew out the clouds as he smiled at his nephew, tilting his head to right. "Don't you think that it may make them even more uptight?"

Maijra blinked.

"You're the next in line for the Sankou household, which is one of the Four Great Duke families." Mr. Sankou continued, exhausting the smoke while holding the cancer stick. "And it's about time for the Coming-Of-Age Ceremony for you, Maijra Sankou."

Groaning at this, the twelve years old boy plopped his head onto the arm of the couch and sighed. "Yeah, that! About that… Why is it that I have to something like that, anyway?" He whined.

_What a paaaaaaaaaaain _He thought.

"HA! HA! HA!" Maijra's Uncle, Mr. Sankou laughed at the poor state of suffering that his nephew was in. "That's the fate of those who turn fifteen. Just try to accept it."

"Yeah, well…" Opening his eyes and quickly closing his eyes in a second, the fifteen years old boy sat up straightly and grinned at his uncle. "I guess I should be happy since I got to come to this mansion for it."

As Maijra continued, "This place is fun! Even after two days, there are still places I haven't seen yet!"

Amusedly at his nephew's attitude, his uncle smiled wryly. "It's a beautiful mansion, isn't it?"

"It seems it was built more than two hundred years ago. But now it's being used as the location for the Coming-Of-Age Ceremony." Mr. Sankou said pressing his cigarette into the golden-silver ashtray, half smirking at the grinning nephew impatiently kicking back and fro in the couch. "Since this isn't a place you can carelessly come to, Maijra. I'm thinking we should have some fun with this 'unorthodox party'!"

"Yeah!" Maijra agreed his closed eyes turned into up-down horse shapes happily. "You came to hold the ceremony, didn't you Uncle?"

"Ah…" Pressing the burning end of his cigarette in the ashtray suddenly froze; the head of the Sankou household glanced almost sadly at the young boy as he said quietly, "In truth, it should be your father's job… I'm sorry for substituting for him."

Looking startled, Maijra waved dismissing the apology with an uncomfortable smile. "What are you saying?" He exclaimed in a genuine surprise and half-opened his eyes at his uncle. "As for me, I think you are a lot like my father, Uncle!"

As he laughed hollowly, "If anything, I'm happier about that!"

Mr. Sankou's face softened at this, lowering his cigarette. _Maijra…_

At same time, Maijra's servant frowned at this. _Did you…_

"…Yeah…" The old man leaned backward into his chair, relighting his new cigarette again and then he suddenly remembered. "Oh! That's right, Maijra!" He stood up from the chair and put his cigarette in his lip, walking to the closet.

Blinking at him curiously, Maijra plopped on the top of the fluffy white couch resting his chin on his crossed arms. "Uncle…?"

"The item you asked for made it just in time!" His uncle said unlocking the closet door and pulled it opened with a sharp _click_.

"Really!? Alright!!" Maijra perked up at this, seeing his uncle brought the small black chest to him.

"It'll be a bit snug, but it should be okay…" His uncle said uncertainly, handing the small chest to the boy as the young servant looked on curiously with an unaffected smile.

…_? I don't remember that Young Master ordered something like that… _Renjiro thought feeling uneasy, knowing his closest friend would do with a small unknown black chest.

"That's fine! Thank you!" As Renjiro heard his young master assured his uncle happily as he took the chest from his uncle.

_**BANG! BANG!**_

As Renjiro and the little white kitty nearly let out a startle yelp, staring at the huge golden-brown door that was suddenly banging on by someone.

"_**Ryuuij-sama!!**_" That turns out it was the Mistress Tora, the head of the housekeepers. "_**Is this Young Master Maijra with you?**_"

_Her tone is indeed scary…_ Clenching his black box to his chest tightly, the young master stared at the loud banging on the closed door fearfully. And then he turned sharply to his uncle and his eyes widened like a scared little innocent boy.

"Please, Uncle! Would it be all right to play just a little longer?" He begged holding the black chest in his arms, staring hopefully at the amused uncle.

Amusing at his nephew's behavior once again, Mr. Sankou took his cigarette from his smiling lips.

"OIIII! Young Master!!" Renjiro glared at Maijra, frowning disapproved at him. "No way! Didn't you promise to stop the 'mansion exploration' by four?!" He exclaimed pointing at the old father clock, and definitely it is four o'clock.

Maijra scowled darkly at his servant.

"_Shut it! I said 'a little more,' didn't I!?_" He snapped icily, raising his fingers as he ordered his pet. "Sic 'im, girl!"

_Snap!_

As a little white kitty reacted to the sound of fingers snapped by her master, she bounced swiftly from the window board and landed on the servant's head before the servant could react.

"_EEEEEEEEKKKK!!_" Renjiro shrieked shaking violently his head the unwanted creature off his head, but unfortunately, the kitty remained on his head. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

Sweatdropped at the sight of poor servant running in circle, screaming his head off while having the kitty clomped his head, as the uncle approached the fuming nephew. "Hey now!" He said sharply, putting his hand on the young master's head to stop the nonsense game. "Let's not bully Renjiro too much, okay?"

Maijra frowned under the hand on his head, grumbling as he called his pet off, much to the servant's relief. _Ruining my fun, will you Uncle? _

Noticing his nephew's face, Mr. Sankou smirked. "You wanted some time to hand this over, right?" He said, snapping Maijra out of his sulking state, pointed at the black chest that young boy held. "So get out of here!"

Maijra's eyes widened almost gleefully at this.

"RYUUIJ-SAMA!!" As the mistress's voice screamed from the closed door, the head of the Sankou household turned around and skipped over to the door. "Yes! Yes! I'm coming!" He chirped, as the nephew sneaked toward to the window.

"Listen up, Maijra!" Freezing the young master with his sharp tone, he pointed at him seriously. "You _absolutely_ better not mess up today's party!"

Opening the huge window, Maijra saluted at his uncle with a goofy grin as his pet followed after him faithfully. "You got it!" As his servant staggered to him, holding his head dizzily.

"If it looks like you are going to pull a stunt…" Mr. Sankou said narrowing his eyes knowing his nephew never took his words quite seriously. "…I'll have to call out the emissary of '_abyss_'."

The young master glanced at his uncle silently, and then he let out a relieved sigh. "Phew." He laughed. "I'm sorry, but…"

Dropping one of his legs outside the window, he waved happily at his uncle. "…those threats don't work on me anymore!"

As the boys and a white kitty leaped out of the window, disappearing out of the sight.

(--)(--)(--)

_It's not fair… _

_But then again…_

_I couldn't remember the last time anything was fair… so I decided to go with that fact that this was too cruel. These things that are so cruel to us, they shouldn't exist in life. I didn't actually think any existed. I childishly thought they couldn't exist. Now I know better._

_The death reapers…_

_The Judges of the Underworld…_

_These cruelties, they are with us everyday._

_They made what I am, a sinner of all sinners… Because of what I have done that I shouldn't have done. However, what's done is done in the past and can't change that fact. _

_I won't be able to eat properly anymore. I won't be able to live normally among humans. Soon, I won't able to be an ordinary human… I'll be losing them, the things I could do before so effortlessly. _

_I'm a monster now, surviving purely on my new kin, other sinners. But if they left me alone, I think I might actually die._

…_Because of them, I won't be able to see my family again._

_My family told me to come back soon, get better. They don't know anything. I can't come back. It's impossible. They don't know that. They'll have to go on without me. Because I can't be there with them._

_Most important of all though…_

_I won't be able to play my chess with my best friend anymore._

(--)(--)(--)

"Um…Young Master…?" Renjiro asked meekly, following his master through the ancient part of the mansion. "What is '_abyss_'?"

Smiling evilly at his servant, Maijra explained gleefully. "Well, it's a prison where bad people are locked up." As he placed the black chest on the old looking stone stair nearby, unlocking to open it.

"The rumors say that once you are taken there, you can never come back." He continued, reaching into the opened chest. "You saw the prison that one my brothers show us the book a bit ago?"

"That's one?" Renjiro asked uncertainly, imagining what the scary prison looks like in his mind.

As his eyes opened looking at him, Maijra looked up a sarcastic grin seeing the frightened look on his poor servant. "The emissary comes from '_abyss_' to snatch those who commit heinous crimes. It's said that creature then takes them away to a truly terrifying place…"

Suddenly he smiled at him, "But before I tell you more…" He shoved something onto the confused servant. "Take a look, Renjiro!"

"Huh?" Renjiro blinked down at the something he was holding and something dawned him. "This is…"

It was a white, formal clothes for the tonight party. But something about that suit is seems off to him, as the servant frowned. "Wait… Isn't this a little small for the Young Master?"

As Maijra laughed at this, he pressed gently the clothes onto his servant while he snickered quietly. "It's fine, dummy! Since you're the one wearing it!"

"…………" The servant froze, slowly turning into a stone statue. _Something fishy about that… _He thought to himself."R-Really…?" He stammered, turning his head slowly toward the too much smiling boy beside him.

"It's the truth! Since you're going to be participating in the Coming-Of-Age Ceremony, too!" Maijra exclaimed pointing upward both of his index fingers in the air, grinning eagerly.

Hearing this, Renjiro clenched the formal clothes too tightly and his so called stone statue cracked a bit. _No… It's something about that, isn't there Young Master…?_

"And since the clothes I was going to lend you seemed too big. I asked Uncle to get it tailored for me!" Young Master said smiling too broadly, much to the servant's dismal. _Ha! Ha! Ha!_

_I knew it… _As his stone statue finally shattered, he exclaimed unhappily to Maijra. "What is this? I didn't hear anything like this!"

"Gah!" Maijra scowled darkly at him, standing up from the kneeing position. "Of course! But if I said something about it, then what?"

Without letting his servant protest, the young master turned smiling sarcastically rubbing his chin. "_I wanted to see that panicked look you always get, so I was quiet._" He said gleefully, closing his eyes again. _Mwahahahaha…_

"…Tch!" Renjiro collapsed onto the floor, looking defeated. "I can't… Please find another person soon…" He whimpered, holding his gurgling stomach and looking quite pale a bit.

"Don't worry, Renjiro!" Maijra chirped happily, wagging his finger at his suffering servant. "The job itself isn't a big deal!" As the white kitty meowed, she climbed over to her precious master's head.

"All you need to do is put the robe on my shoulders at the end of the ceremony. Well… If you are there or not is okay, but… after all, you…" Young Master said before the servant cut him off.

"No, it's not that…" The fifteen years old servant, Renjiro, looked down at the grass looking worried about something else make the master glanced confusedly at him.

Maijra frowned. "Then what are you unhappy with?"

"I'm just a servant!" Renjiro said sharply, pressing his hand onto his chest and looked worriedly at the confused master. "That kind of position is beyond someone like me!"

Maijra blinked in a genuine surprise at this. "You're wrong, Renjiro…" As he sat down on the stair, holding his right leg and then he looked up at his servant. "You won't doing it as a servant… I want you to do it as my friend."

"**IT'S ABSOLUTELY IMPOSSIBLE!!**" His servant snapped furiously and waving his arms wildly in the air, causing the young master and the white kitty on his head blinked in surprise.

"Huh?" Maijra looked confused, blinking.

"Mrrr…?" The white kitty meowed confusedly, blinking.

"If they know the Young Master has an orphan like me as a friend…" Renjiro continued, clenching and unclenching his fists uncertainly and anxiously. "…All of nobles will criticize you behind your back."

Maijra seem now understood what was his servant's feeling in the situation, looking down at his shoes. _Renjiro… _

"…Not really…" Maijra shook his head smiling half-heartily at his servant. "I'm not worried about it, but…"

"**I'LL MAKE THE MASTER MAD!!**" His servant suddenly wailed, startling the fifteen years old young master and his poor little kitty.

_Renjiro… _Maijra let out a sigh. "It's fine… He can't even come home from work for his son's birthday. He won't come back here just to scold you, Renjiro…"

"Oh…" Renjiro calmed down, lowering the formal clothes and looking sadly at the now silent master.

_He's just won't come back at all…_

As a refreshing breeze blowing playfully the grass, the boys sat in the silence. Until then the song suddenly come to Maijra's sharp ear.

_My fears begin as the light slowly fades away  
Those tormenting thoughts take over my mind  
I try not to think, not to listen, to go numb_

Opening his eyes sharply, Maijra blinked confused as his servant noticed this. "Um… Young Master…?"

"What… What is this sound…?" He lowered his palm from his chin, looking up to the garden looking for something source of the mysterious song.

"Huh?" His servant blinked, reaching slowly for his master unsure of what was going on.

"Can you hear something, can't you…?" His master said softly, standing up slowly from the stair that he was sitting on. "…" He heard the song again from somewhere.

_My body won't give into the silence that surrounds  
The light is completely gone now, I feel them there  
I can hear their slow shallow breathing all around me_

Stepping onto the grass, Maijra glanced at the darkened part of the path where the song was coming from and he started to heading toward there.

"…Young Master…?" He heard his servant called out to him, but he continued on and he was arrived on the old part of the garden looking around. _This sound… _

_Even with my eyes closed I sense they're here  
Slowly creeping towards me, closing in on me  
I panic and want to scream but I don't dare_

Closing his eyes quietly, he felt very calm and peaceful even if someone was standing beside him singing softly to him. _A music box…? _

He heard his servant run toward to him, calling out to him but he didn't pay any attention on a servant.

_That's what they want, I won't let them win  
Intense pain washes over my body, I try not to scream  
It feels like thousands of knives are cutting deep into me_

As he now stood on the empty spot in the middle of the old garden area, his ears twitching at a tiny sound come out of nowhere.

_Crumble._

Opening his eyes confused, Maijra frowned. _Wha… What is that noise?_

_I feel their cold icy hands tighten their grip on my arm  
I know it won't be long now, soon it will be over  
The first blow leaves me stunned, I freeze_

_**Crumble.**_

He was standing on the weakened part of the ground was cracked and cracked more, unaware of what happening when he heard the same noise getting loud again.

_Then the second one, it brings me back to reality  
I try to clear my mind of all thoughts, try to forget  
The less I think the less I feel the better it is_

_**BA-M!**_

The ground under his feet finally gave away, as he fell down into the hole. "EH!?" Maijra's eyes looked surprised, feeling the ground had no longer support him.

"YOUNG MASTER!!" Renjiro screamed, leaping after him and snatched the sleeve part of his young master's shirt as both of them falling into the hole leaving the meowing confused little kitty looked down at the darkness void of the hole she was standing near.

_**Clatter! **_

_**Slam!**_

_Clatter! _

_Slam!_

Clink…

Clink…

"Ugh…" Maijra groaned painfully, rubbing his aching head and looking up at the sunlight peering through the tiny hole and seeing the huge hole with a long stone stairs behind him. _That explains why I'm having a bloody headache…_

"That's hurt…" As he heard his servant suddenly stirred next to him, sprawling over his chest and looking dazed and clenching his forehead that looking like a bruise slowly forming on his skin.

"Hey…" Maijra looked over, as his servant rolled off him and he supported him on his arms against the stone-like floor. "Renjiro, are you still alive?" He asked groaning at his ache body as he tried to move, as slow as he could.

"Som…" Renjiro said painfully, rubbing his forehead slowly. "…Somehow…"

_I am lying here on the floor, finally it's over  
Their footsteps echo throughout the empty room  
My face is bleeding; I am bruised all over, damaged_

"Huh…?" Maijra and Renjiro opened his eyes, noticing something strange in the front of them and stared disbelief.

It was the cross-like tombstone stood proudly leaning against a beautiful, peaceful sakura tree. It was a truly beautiful sight.

_Silently I lie here thinking, I start to cry  
The tears sting the cuts on my face, I don't move  
I don't understand them or their abuse, I never will_

Rubbing his head slowly stopped, Maijra was embraced by the peaceful scene. _Wha…_

"This place…" Renjiro said softly, his arms shaking as he pushed himself upward staring at the same scene as his master did.

_I should be glad that I'm alive but I'm not  
I wish they had of killed me, ended this hell  
Trapped in a world of hate wishing for an escape_

"Could it be… a graveyard?" Renjiro said gulping, as his master walked over toward the lone stone. "Young Master?" As he followed after him, trembling at the sigh of the death stone.

"Yeah? But…" Maijra blinked, looking around in the small area. "There's only one grave here." As he took a good look at the lone stone, the tombstone looked like a lone cross with a circle and peaceful under the sunlight, suddenly something shines caught Maijra's attention.

It was a golden watch.

_The darkness begins to lift, my anger stays  
I know they will be back again once the light ends  
Until then I must wait, enjoy the minutes, seconds of freedom._

Maijra's eyes widened slowly, reaching for the sparkling gold watch in a slow motion and ignoring the soft words from his servant.

"The name's really faint… I can't read." Renjiro said turning his head back to his master and he blinked. "…Young Master?"

Looking in a trance, the young master touched the golden watch and suddenly felt a something rushing to him through his touch.

_Ba-Dump…_

_Ba-Dump…_

Widening his eyes, he trembled holding the golden watch from the tombstone. "Tch…!" He stepped back trembling more. _What is this… This feeling…_

_Ba-Dump…_

_Ba-Dump…_

Snapped the watch opened as the same song started to play again, Maijra froze trembling at this. _That sound earlier… Did it come from this watch?_

"…" He gulped, slowly reaching the tiny button of the golden watch he was holding in his left hand as the servant noticed his movement, concerning at his master's state.

_Young Master…? _Renjiro frowned worriedly at his now sweating master. _You looked more pale than usual…_

Click… He turned the button around in a slow movement, almost in a trance. Click…

_I don't think I heard this melody before… I wonder whose pocket watch this is…? _Maijra thought in a trance, stopping the button when the soft noise coming from the watch.

_Tic…_

_Tic…_

_Tic…_

"Hmm?" Renjiro blinked in surprise at the golden watch._ What… What is going on…? Young Master?_

_Tic…_

It's getting louder and louder. That watch.

–_but… _Maijra looked pale, his right hand trembling as the noise grew darker and more sinister. _…For some reason…_

_**TIC…**_

As suddenly, he found himself standing in the mysterious room with a lone table along with a white teacup and a white teapot that both made of porcelain. In the room was filled in all white, a place of emptiness except for a lone, male porcelain doll in a black formal suit, and a single little circle glass of a silver eyeglass he was wearing with a chain attached to the chest pocket, sat on the lone chair next to the table.

_TIC… TIC… TIC…_

"Huh…?" Maijra stood on the cleaned floor, rooting to his fear as he looked slowly around in the room. "Wh… Where am I…?"

_Tic… Tic… Tic…_

The lone grandfather clock swung the bell fro and back, silent taunting at the trapped boy. "_Heh…Heh… Heh…_" A quiet snicker that was getting loud and loud, startling the young master.

As he looked around wildly, backing up against the invisible wall in fear. "Who's out there?"

"_Kyahehe…_"

Snickering turn into cold chuckling, striking a chill through the child's blood and leaving goosebumps on his pale skin.

"WHO'S OUT THERE?!" Maijra bellowed fearfully, his forehead sweating a bit.

"_Hehehe…! HAHAHAHA!!_"

Maijra looked startled at the sound that comes behind him, turning back to the lone doll sitting in the chair holding the teacup. _When… When did he have a teacup?!_

Chuckling that was suddenly turn into a full of laughing sarcastically, the gentleman doll suddenly looked alive. "_**GYAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!**_"

Stepped backward even if he doesn't have room to move beyond the wall, Maijra stared at the doll disbelief and fear. "Wha…? What are you…?"

CLICK… CLICK… CLICK… CLICK…

"Returned!!" The doll finally said, crackling as he moved gracefully and placed teacup on the table. "Finally, he returned!!"

Maijra trembled.

"_So pleased… He shall be so pleased…_"The doll snickered, baring his fangs in a dark smile. "_Yes, of course!!_ _'Cause he's been waiting for so long…_"

CLICK… CLICK… CLICK…

_What…is this!? _Maijra stared horrifically at the crackling doll. _What is he?! Where am I?!_

"Disgraceful toy… Please be quiet." A soft voice quickly silenced the gentleman doll into the same lifeless position he was in before again. "Ya scared 'im a bit…"

Maijra heard the sound of footsteps beside him, turning his head and saw the door was opened, someone stood there. _Since when did the door popped out of nowhere…?_

"You… Who are you…" He said looking quietly at the shadow person stood by the doorway, unconsciously moving away from the mysterious figure.

"Hm?" The figure lifted his head in the light, revealing it was…

Maijra stepped back in a pure horror of surprise.

…An exactly mirror looking alike, except it was an older one version of himself.

"I knew it…" The looking alike said grinning, offering a fake innocent smile. "Ya come fer me…"

As the looking alike walked over to the table, picking up the teapot and pouring into the teacup so he continued. "I'm so happy!" He chirped sipping the teacup, smiling mysteriously. "No one quite fond of me dat much…"

"WHAT!?" Maijra exclaimed, clenching his fists furiously as he glared hatefully at the unknown boy before him.

"…Dat's why no one comes ta see me…" The looking alike boy ignored him, offering another teacup to the gentleman doll with an empty smile.

_WHAM!!_

The young master slammed onto the table angrily, snapping at the mirrored boy. "Wait just a fucking second, I don't know what are you saying!" He seized the boy's shirt and shaking him wildly. "What is this place?!"

A smirk.

"What are you saying…?"

With that, the looking alike removed the angry master's fingers from his shirt and his arms widened around in the air at the room. "You… Don't ya always come 'ere?"

Maijra blinked. "Me…?"

"Yes, you…" The mysterious boy sat down on the appeared chair, pouring his empty teacup with his teapot. "Whenever ya are sad, ya are always comin' ta me…"

Maijra blinked again. "Wha…?"

"As long as I am 'ere…" The smiling eyed boy sipped his teacup, grinning the fox-like smile. "I don't care if I can never escape from dis place."

"…You…" Maijra snapped, having a sudden courage to speak to the unknown person that had his face. "What on earth are you…?"

Rising his teacup stopped, as the boy froze at this and his fox-like smile disappeared. "Me…?" As teacup slipped out of his fingers, falling downward to the floor. "I…?"

_SHATTER!_

The shattering pieces of a white teacup was scattered all over the floor and the blue-white flame sudden exploded all over the room, nearly burning the young master as Maijra shielded his face with his arms.

"**You**…"

Maijra peered through his arms, staring in horror at the real form that was revealing in the looking alike body.

"**You…**" It said in threatening tone, baring its white fangs behind the burning blue-white wall of fire. "**…Don't recognized me...?**"

Maijra backed up in fear, feeling the wall he was pressed against. He was trapped.

"**Ya always… come ta me…**" It snarled furiously, his voice echoed anywhere in the flaming room. "**…Always cryin' fer yer daddy… Seekin' fer a comfort…**"

Shutting his ears with his hands, Maijra closed his eyes tightly. _What the hell…is this…?_

"**Since yer mommy died…**" It hissed, as Maijra could feel the beast smiling wickedly at him.

Finally, the young master cannot take it down with and yelled at the beast behind the fire. "_**STOP IT!!**_"

Suddenly, everything went black and quiet. And he was alone… Again…

"I'll kill you…" A voice behind him, pressing its talons against his bared neck as Maijra froze and then he ducked, knocking the paw away from him. "Wha…?" He said backing away from the beast.

But it was too late for him to get away when the claws claimed him again, holding him in the neck. "GAH!"

"I'll never forgive ya…" The beast was smiling sarcastically and gleefully at the pained child. "I'll never… Never…!"

The boy's eyes widened in horror once more, he was choking to death.

"No matter where ya run and hide," The beast said in the darkness grinned insanely. "I'll find ya no matter what!!"

"Le…" The boy struggled under the pressure, clawing furiously at the paw that was choking him. "LET GO!!"

"Mmm?" The beast looked interested, grinning fanged at him. "Hehe…Wat's wrong, boy?" As the boy didn't answered, continued struggling more. "Do… I make ya scared…?"

Maijra trembled feeling the other paw patting gently on his head. "Hehe… Dat's fine…" It chirped. "I'll scare ya all I wanna!"

"Lament… Tremble… Despair… Hatred… All of it…" As the beast embraced him into his furry chest, holding him like a young cub. "I'll gently teach ya everythin'!!"

It grinned. "And den… At dat final moment, I…"

As quickly as the master could blink, the beast snapped his jaw at him. "…will devour ya and all yer flesh!"

Finally, the young master can't take much more and opened his mouth. "AAAAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHHH!!"

_Young… _

…_Master…?_

"_YOUNG MASTER!!"_

As Maijra was snapped out of his trance, feeling the hand gripped his shoulder shocking him. Looking around in confusion, he was back in the garden. There was no a gentleman doll, no table, no teacup, no teapot…

…and no monster either…

Only him and Renjiro alone…in the garden…staring at the tombstone…

"Eh…" His servant said softly, letting his master go slowly. "What happened? You were just staring off…"

Maijra stared blankly at him. Renjiro frowned deeply, his eyes gazing down at the golden watch that his master was holding in the right hand.

"…That watch… Did something?" He asked softly, staring unsurely at the ticking item. _I don't like that feeling… Something very bad…_

"…Huh…?" Maijra looked down confusedly and dazedly at the golden watch. _Tic… Tic… Tic…_

His servant concerned about how pale his master was becoming after the trance. Frowning uneasily at the sinister pocket watch in the master's right hand. _Young Master…_

"Wha…" The young master looked around in confusion, holding the pocket watch tightly to his chest, trembling a bit.

"What was that…? Just now…" He whispered even a little, making the servant had hard time to listen. His eyes widened in fill of fear, horror, and confusion all rolled into one at once and his skin turned paler than a ghost.

_Who…?_

_**TO BE CONTINUE…**_

…

…

…

**End of the Prologue I**

* * *

Me: (coughs politely) When I typed this long prologue, I realized I typed too many pages so I have to cut one huge story into two prologues. (Scratched my head sheepishly) Wow… No wonder I loves the ancient flashback of that 600th-500th era and the creation era. (Laughs nervously)

Kobo: (sweatdropped) Time for sneak peek about upcoming next prologue: "The Rebirth of the Gluttony part two."

_Even so… Was that really a dream?_

_That feeling…like strangled._

_**--**_

"_If I have not shown up at the ceremony then…"_

_**That kind of "If" thought should be left behind…**_

_**-- **_

"_**We'll give that Descendant of Sankou…**_"

"_**The Greatest Blessing Imaginable!!**_"

--

_It's like I'm being lured…towards the depth of darkness…_

Review this story, please.


	2. Prologue II

Disclaimer: I do not own Xiaolin Showdown and its characters… But I own my characters and wu(s).

Me: While it's in prologue, I'll tell you the long story of the sly, trickster-like Kyoto dialect-accent child/teen/adult known as "Gluttony" and his true name was Maijra… You'll understand the reason how he ends up being like this for fifteen hundred years.

Welcome to the **Medieval** era and the **Zhou Dynasty** era… Both in Europe and in China's time line, so let's take us back into the ancient flashback of that era that takes you 1500 years ago!

Enjoy, folks!

* * *

…

…

…

"**You…**" It said in threatening tone, baring its white fangs behind the burning blue-white wall of fire. "**…Don't recognized me...?**"

Maijra backed up in fear, feeling the wall he was pressed against. He was trapped.

"**Ya always… come ta me…**" It snarled furiously, his voice echoed anywhere in the flaming room. "**…Always cryin' fer yer daddy… Seekin' fer a comfort…**"

Shutting his ears with his hands, Maijra closed his eyes tightly. _What the hell…is this…?_

"**Since yer mommy died…**" It hissed, as Maijra could feel the beast smiling wickedly at him.

Finally, the young master cannot take it down with and yelled at the beast behind the fire. "_**STOP IT!!**_"

Suddenly, everything went black and quiet. And he was alone… Again…

"I'll kill you…" A voice behind him, pressing its talons against his bared neck as Maijra froze and then he ducked, knocking the paw away from him. "Wha…?" He said backing away from the beast.

But it was too late for him to get away when the claws claimed him again, holding him in the neck. "GAH!"

"I'll never forgive ya…" The beast was smiling sarcastically and gleefully at the pained child. "I'll never… Never…!"

The boy's eyes widened in horror once more, he was choking to death.

"No matter where ya run and hide," The beast said in the darkness grinned insanely. "I'll find ya no matter what!!"

"Le…" The boy struggled under the pressure, clawing furiously at the paw that was choking him. "LET GO!!"

"Mmm?" The beast looked interested, grinning fanged at him. "Hehe…Wat's wrong, boy?" As the boy didn't answered, continued struggling more. "Do… I make ya scared…?"

Maijra trembled feeling the other paw patting gently on his head. "Hehe… Dat's fine…" It chirped. "I'll scare ya all I wanna!"

"Lament… Tremble… Despair… Hatred… All of it…" As the beast embraced him into his furry chest, holding him like a young cub. "I'll gently teach ya everythin'!!"

It grinned. "And den… At dat final moment, I…"

As quickly as the master could blink, the beast snapped his jaw at him. "…will devour ya and all yer flesh!"

Finally, the young master can't take much more and opened his mouth. "AAAAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHHH!!"

_Young… _

…_Master…?_

"_YOUNG MASTER!!"_

As Maijra was snapped out of his trance, feeling the hand gripped his shoulder shocking him. Looking around in confusion, he was back in the garden. There was no a gentleman doll, no table, no teacup, no teapot…

…and no monster either…

Only him and Renjiro alone…in the garden…staring at the tombstone…

"Eh…" His servant said softly, letting his master go slowly. "What happened? You were just staring off…"

Maijra stared blankly at him. Renjiro frowned deeply, his eyes gazing down at the golden watch that his master was holding in the right hand.

"…That watch… Did something?" He asked softly, staring unsurely at the ticking item. _I don't like that feeling… Something very bad…_

"…Huh…?" Maijra looked down confusedly and dazedly at the golden watch. _Tic… Tic… Tic…_

His servant concerned about how pale his master was becoming after the trance. Frowning uneasily at the sinister pocket watch in the master's right hand. _Young Master…_

"Wha…" The young master looked around in confusion, holding the pocket watch tightly to his chest, trembling a bit.

"What was that…? Just now…" He whispered even a little, making the servant had hard time to listen. His eyes widened in fill of fear, horror, and confusion all rolled into one at once and his skin turned paler than a ghost.

_Who…?_

* * *

**The Cursed Heart of Steel**

**Arc 3**

— _The Rebirth of Gluttony __—_

**Prologue II**

A few minutes later, the young master and his servant climbed back to the hole to where the meowing white little kitty that was perching near to the shattered part of the ground, peering down at them.

"Well…" The servant stood there watching the young master skipped humming to himself in the hall, taking the black chest and the pocket watch in his right hand with him. "Are you sure it's all right to keep that watch?" He asked a huge sweatdrop rolling down his head, frowning at the cheerful looking boy.

"It's fine!" Maijra said cheerfully, waving the golden pocket watch in his right hand in the air. "Later, I'll have Uncle tell me whose grave that is."

"Well, that's that! Catch!" Suddenly, he tossed the black box to Renjiro who was quickly to catch it with a surprise. "Michiyo will fill you in on the details for tonight."

Gaping in shock at Maijra, Renjiro protested desperately to find the reason to make his master to change his mind. "But young Master! There's no excuse for someone like me to be in the ceremony!"

Huffed disappointedly, the young master patted the panicking servant's shoulder with a beaming smile. "I know. I won't force you, Renjiro." He beamed, his innocent smile slowly growing larger and larger. "If you don't come, I won't mind at all!"

_HE'S LYING!!_ Renjiro thought with his shoulders stiffened at the huge smile, knowing it was a spelling for doom upon him.

Still smiling sadistically, the master skipped happily away with a purring white kitty riding on his head. "Well then, let's go to my room to change my clothes…" He shot a victory grin at the shocked servant. "…Shiroyuki-chan!"

A white kitty meowed merrily as her name was now known. Shiroyuki means for "white snow."

Renjiro collapsed clinging the black box in his arms, looking defeated after them.

(--)(--)(--)

_Step… Step… Step…_

The fifteen years old young master walked thoughtfully, while a white kitty was padding behind him meowed curiously. Clenching the silent pocket watch in his right hand, he gazed ahead in front of him.

_Even so… _He thought with a frown. _Was that really a dream?_

Remembering the scary looking alike that was turned into a beast in darkness, Maijra slowly reached for his neck. _That feeling…like strangled. _

He stroked painfully where the blue-purple bruises of few barely finger marks are on his pale neck. _It feels like something is still there…_

(--)(--)(--)

Meanwhile the young servant sighed sadly, shaking his head at the formal clothes he was received from his master. _What should I do? For me…to attend as his friend is…_

His fingers absentmindedly smoothed the white silk cloth, as the sound of the cloth rustled snapping him out of the depression state. His cheeks burning hotly at his action, he jerked his hand in surprise and stared amazingly at his 'new' clothes he was holding in his hands.

"_**How nice…**_" It spoke out of nowhere, startling the young servant. "_**These clothes…**_"

A rustling noise that was not the familiar noise of the formal clothes, but more like a cloak flying in the wind and landed on the floor behind the shocked servant. "_**Will you show them to me, too?**_"

"Wha…?" Renjiro turned his head quickly over his right shoulder and next thing he knew, his world was filled with darkness…

--

In the ceremony, the young master in the formal white clothes almost like the formal clothes he was giving to his servant as a special 'gift'. But his clothes are more handsome formal European style with a sapphire jewel and a white formal tie clothe around his neck.

He was waiting for his servant to arrive.

Glancing anxiously at the giant grandfather's clock, Maijra frowned wondering where his servant is now.

"_If I have not shown up at the ceremony then…"_

The head mistress of the servants glanced curiously down at Maijra standing on the middle of the long stairway. "Young Master Maijra?" She asked almost concern for the young master.

Twitched at his name, the boy shook his head. "…No…" He said almost as if he scolded himself for something to worry about.

_**That kind of "If" thought should be left behind…**_

Something nosily caught his attention and he blinked in almost fear at the window, peering over the darkening clouds. _The sky…_

…_Looks really violent…_ He thought grabbing the railing and clenched it tightly, trembling. _What it could be…?_

_**Ever since then… I can't seem to shake this feeling…**_

--

"_**MWAHHAHAHAHAHAHA!**_"

Meanwhile in the garden room, a sadistically sound of someone's laughter echoed toward the darkening white ceiling as the familiar-looking fragile boy in the formal white clothes danced swirling around with a crazy grin.

"_**MWAHHAHAHAHAHAHA!**_"

"_Look! Look! Look!_" He turned his head toward the person wearing a cloak in the railing garden, grinning. "_I'm really something! Don't you think I look just like a prince?_" He asked widening his arms in the air, laughing creepily as the person in a cloak grinned at this.

"Oh!" The person in a cloak grinned broadly. "It sure does look good on you!"

"Is it to your liking, Daija?" The person in a cloak asked curiously, lowering his hooded head in respect to the not so servant-like person.

"Hmm… The low quality is a bit of a problem, but…" The spirit possessed servant known as Daija, as he grinned tugging the end of his formal clothes playful. "…It's really easy to move around!" He looked up to the person in a cloak, his eyes revealing an empty and evil looking from his gaze, and then his grin turns into something so sinister.

"Heh… Heh… Heh…" Daija grinned turned around and headed to the place where the ceremony are. "Let's go, Guujin…"

--

Back to the Coming-Of-Age Ceremony…

_Creeeeaaaaak…_

As the sound of the huge golden doors opened when the noble guards opened for the young master to walk through. "Alright… Shall we go?" They said in union, glancing back at the boy.

Maijra narrowed his eyes, walking toward the noble guards and the doors proudly as a prince. The golden pocket watch was hiding somewhere inside his pocket, ticking quietly. _Tick…Tick…Tick…_

_The watch seems to be ticking faster than usual… _He thought his forehead sweating a bit, frowning with a grimace.

_**We'll definitely be waiting right here…**_ The possessed servant and the puppet master grinned sinisterly, watching the young prince entered into the ceremony room.

_Tick…Tick…_

"_**We'll give that Descendant of Sankou…**_" One of them said sadistically, as the puppet master embraced the possessed servant and swallowed slowly into the darkness. "_**The Greatest Blessing Imaginable!!**_"

_Tick…Tick…_

The golden pocket watch was still tricking almost sinisterly, swinging fro and back in a slow motion. _It's like I'm being lured…towards the depth of darkness…_

(--)(--)(--)

Meanwhile the blackening pool stirred when the humming noise drifted across to the boy that was curling into a body ball above the water.

He lifted his head opening his eyes, hearing the familiar humming. **This sound seems familiar…**

(--)(--)(--)

The young master lifted the opened pocket watch and staring at its ticking, frowning in confusion.

**Is it…**

_Click! _He snapped the pocket watch closed and walked in a fast pace through the doors.

…**calling to me?**

"Maijra!"

Maijra looked up hearing his name called to him, seeing his uncle waved happily at him with his older brothers. He smiled, walking fast toward them. "Uncle Ryuuij!"

When he reached them, he noticed there is another person with them. It was a beautiful, long black haired green-eyed girl, not like his cousin Lady Syuzuka he had meet two days ago.

"Oh! Let me introduce you, Maijra." His uncle said stepped back, gesturing respectfully to the girl with a smile. "This is the Duchess of Yoshikuni's daughter,"

The girl bowed respectfully to the young master.

"Miss Miharu Yoshikuni."

She lifted her head back with a beaming smile.

Maijra jerked backward in surprise, a dark crimson blush creeping across his cheeks. _W-Wow…_

"It is an honor to meet you." Miharu replied in a Japanese accent with a mix of English, closing her eyes happily.

_Eeep!! _Hearing her beautiful voice, Maijra tensed his shoulder nervously, blushing. "Huh?! Uh… Yeah!!" _Saying something, you idiot!!_

"Um… Umm…" The young Sankou stuttered shyly, fidgeting his fingers as one of his older brothers, Akira noticed this and smirked evilly. "Will you also be taking part in the party?"

Smiling softly, Miharu shook her head. "No, my mother was invited to be here for this event."

Maijra blinked.

"But just the other day, my mother fell ill." She looked down sadly, sighing. "As her daughter, I have come to convey her deepest apologize and ask that you please allow her to be absent from this event."

Suddenly, she shook her head and smiled. "It would be nice if I could attend my mother's place, however… I am afraid that I have yet to turn fifteen." Patting her cheek with her right hand, she blushed.

_YOUNGER!?_ Maijra thought gaping in surprise and blushed.

**WHISH! **The cupid appeared above the boy's head, aiming the arrow for his heart and let it loose.

The boy nearly fell over, clenching his chest where the heart was pounding hard as the love arrow through his chest and stabbed his pounding heart. **STRIKE!**

"HA! HA! HA!" Uncle Ryuuij laughed, patting Maijra's head. "Syuzuka's feeling down as well, since she can't go to the party either." He assured with a cheerful smile.

"Oh!" Miharu smiled in relief and Maijra noticed how innocent she was.

**Ba-Dump!**

**Ba-Dump!**

_B-B-Beautiful!_ Maijra thought wildly, shaking his head and slapped his cheeks to snapping him out of his la-la-la land of love dream. _Ha wa wa wa…_

Akira and Keiji stared disbelief at their brother looked nearly giddy that slowly creeping out of them. They can very well see now two cupids stabbing the love arrow spears at Maijra's head, squealing loudly – _Kya! Kya!_

And then they glanced at each other and shrugged their shoulders in confusion. _Poor Maijra, indeed…_

"Maijra-sama…" Miharu asked softly, grabbing the beautiful necklace with an emerald jewel. "I will turn fifteen the year after next."

Blushing, she smiled. "When that time comes, by all means, please dance with me."

Hearing this, Maijra springs back to normal and smiled sincerity at her. "…" And then he suddenly kneed on one of his legs and lifted his wine cup, grinning at her.

"**Yes, of course, all means!** A ha ha! A toast to your time!" He laughed loudly, as the beautiful sakura leaves falling in the background and the poor girl looked confused but still smiling. "**HAH HAH HAH HAH**!!"

_Freaking sweet! My Daring Miharu! _His inner yelled dancing happily, the hearts floating around him. _Super cute! Holy Smokes!_

His brothers smacked their heads in unison at this odd scene. _That idiot… He's in shock. _As they thought in unison, looking disappointed.

"Well then," Miharu laughed smoothly. "…It will soon be that time."

**BANG!**

Dropping his wine cup, Maijra dropped his jaw and staring disbelief at her. _W-W-What?_

"It's truly regrettable, but…" Miharu stepped forward and picked his hand into her hands gently. "…forgive me for only exchanging greetings on a day like this.

Surprised at the way she held his hand, Maijra felt his heart picking up a pace. **Ba-Dump…**

"On your fifteen birthday, I'd like to express my heartfelt congratulations." The duchess said softly, smoothing his white-gloved hand with her pale, soft hand.

**Ba-Dump! Ba-Dump! Ba-Dump! Ba-Dump! **His heart pounding heavily and faster, Maijra blushed. _So tiny…_

"Nooooo…" He stuttered shyly, grinning like an idiot. _Well then, well then…_

"From now on," Miharu continued with a smile. "You'll have the privilege to participate in social parties, so…"

Maijra laughed nervously, scratching behind his head sheepishly.

"—there will be many who draw near to you in hope that they may use you and your status." She said sharply, closing her eyes happily and smiled. Her words suddenly halted the young master's laughter and make him froze at that somewhat cold words.

"There will be those who seek great wealth…"

Slowly looking at her, Maijra lowered his hand in shock.

Miharu slowly opened her suddenly icy green eyes at him. "Yet, there will also be those who hope to share in the hidden power of the Duke's household…"

Keiji frowned at this.

"Also," She continued, staring icily at Maijra. "—every one of them will merely place your father's image upon you."

Jolting at this, the young master froze and his eyes widening. As an older brother, Keiji decided to step in. "Miss Miharu…" He said warningly, stepping forward.

**GRAB!** The duchess grabbed the young master's hand almost desperately, continuing as Keiji stopped mid-step in surprise. "However… Please don't forget this."

She looked down and closed her eyes smiling. "I'll always be by your side. I will be someone who gives you support."

Maijra stared.

Miharu raised her head and smiled sincerity at him, surprising him once more. _If that is the case, then definitely. _

Bowing respectfully at the young master, she turned around and walking toward where the tall boy in a sky-blue formal clothes stood by the door who bowed at her. _If you lose sight of yourself, then it will be all over._

Maijra saw the tall boy glanced back at him, making him freeze. But the tall boy smiled and bowed his head, surprising the young master.

_FWIP! _His formal clothes make a soft sound when he turned around and followed after the duchess out of the ceremony room.

_**Clomp, Clomp…**_

Maijra looked down at the floor, his hands clenching and unclenching.

_Creeeeaaaaak… __**Slam…**_

The brothers looked at each other and then at their younger brother who seems to trembling, Akira moved toward his brother softly. "Maijra…" He began, reaching for his brother.

Trembling softly, Maijra bit his lower lips. "Akira… I…"

Then suddenly, his head jerked up and his eyes sparkling in love. "**I want to marry Miharu-chan!**" He exclaimed the hearts floating around him, making Akira staggered over with a flat face.

Nursing his forehead for headache, Keiji let out a sigh. _Once an idiot, always an idiot…_

"I guess you could say it feel like she had positively pierced my heart with one glance!" Maijra said giddy, shaking Akira's left arm excitedly. "You saw it too, right, Akira? That silky hair…" As the young master blabbing some non-sense words, Akira glanced over his shoulder at Keiji and Uncle Ryuuij with a pleading face for help.

Uncle Ryuuij smiled softly, rubbing his neck in relief. And after few seconds, he decided to rescue Keiji from the younger brother's deadly grasp. "It's time, Maijra. Shall we go?" He called out to the young master who suddenly stopped shaking poor Keiji.

Maijra smiled the first time he looked all ready. "—Yeah."

--

_Clop… Clop…_

Leaving the mansion, the white horses pulled the black carriage slowly and headed into the path.

"Maijra Sankou…" The girl's voice came from the black carriage. And then another voice, this time, it was a male.

"Huh?"

"From your point of view, what did you think?" Miharu asked looking directly at the tall boy in front of her.

The tall boy blinked and then smiled sly at her.

"Hmm… Let's see…" He said thoughtfully, pulling his hand closer to chin and snickering softly. "Wouldn't you say that he fits the young lady's obsession with young boys?"

"**WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!**" The duchess snapped furiously, glaring at the tall boy.

"If he becomes the Sankou successor, it's fate that he will eventually come to our side." The tall boy glanced over the window, holding his chin with his right hand.

_Huh?_ Miharu returned back to her normal self again and coughed politely. "_Ahem…_"

"You would probably be better at getting deeply involved with him than I would." She said softly as the tall boy glanced back at her.

_Heh, heh, heh… _He snickered softly, enjoyed teasing her. "It definitely seems that way…"

Frowning at this, the duchess smacked her face and sighed heavily. _Errr…_

"Oh!" The tall boy gasped softly lowering his right hand from his chin, looking out the window while the girl looked worried at the sudden reaction.

"What happened?" She asked almost fearfully.

Smiling softly, he kept his eyes on outside the window. "Oh, no. Just as I thought, it's starting to rain."

Indeed, it is raining right now.

"I wonder if this…"

(--)(--)(--)

—**could become a storm?**

Meanwhile the young master kneed respectfully before his uncle in the front of the huge ancient clock tower inside the ceremony room. Closing his eyes, he pressed his left hand onto his chest while his other hand touched on the white floor.

"By this baptismal sword," Uncle Ryuuij moved his sword from the boy's shoulder and lifted upward with a proud smile. "The impurities hiding within thyself shall be cleaned."

His thought returned to the golden pocket watch hiding safely in his pant pocket. _Finally… I'm not hearing the watch as much…_

Maijra opened his eyes and looked up at the clock tower in the front of him, standing up slowly.

Silence…

_The silent clock tower… _He thought closing his eyes, stepping the stairs toward the clock tower leaving his uncle talked to the priests.

_All that's left is to swear an oath before that. _

He opened his eyes again.

_Then this stupid ceremony will be over._

Stepping onto the top floor, Maijra saw his servant stood in the white formal clothes and holding the other clothes in his arms next to the clock tower.

Renjiro smiled.

The young master beamed happily, grinning. _He came!_

--

It was still raining heavy…

"_**Are you sure that black haired brat's fully under your control?**_" Another person in a cloak said strictly, glancing over at Guujin who was smiling sadistically under the cloak.

"_**Zwei**_**—**" Guujin snickered softly, still grinning. "_**My power has got him securely under my control. Since he is an important character to open the 'way'."**_

The person in a cloak frowned at this and then he stepped back. "_**Just be careful, Guujin. Don't lose control.**_"

Guujin shook his head still grinning and sitting on the soaking ground calmly. "_**I said I got it. In front of the ancient clock that stopped one hundred years ago…**_"

He glanced upward at the clock tower with an evil grin.

"_**By prophecy, an actor shall ascend to that famed stage.**_"

He let out a laugh and exclaimed toward the silent clock tower. "_**Come on! The countdown begins!**_"

--

Stopping in the front of the silent, white clock tower, Maijra smiled proudly and kneed before that.

"Until the day this scarred body and pulse vanish." Closing his eyes and his left hand touched gently to his chest in respectfully, he continued. "To continually protect the name and honor of Sankou."

The head of the Sankou household, Uncle Ryuuij, smiled.

"I will now," Maijra's white-gloved hand lifted and touched on the clock tower. "To this land and…"

Renjiro smiled almost sinisterly.

"—to my friends, solemnly vow…" The young master continued looking up at the silent clock tower.

**TI-CK! **The long arrow suddenly moved to 12, startling all of the people within the ceremony room.

Maijra froze.

"What?" Keiji said in surprise, Akira and Uncle Ryuuij stepped back in shock.

**BONG! BONG! **The golden bell started to scream all across the ceremony and the people started murmuring to each other in confusion.

--

**SWISH! **The mysterious people in cloak jumping out of the hidden area and rushed toward the clock tower as the leader of the group looked half surprised at this.

Guujin grinned widely as he continued explaining to the leader, "_**When the awaited ones arrived on the promise land, the sound of the bell which destroys the silence shall resound.**_"

"_**Make no mistake.**_" He grinned sinisterly. "_**He is the one!**_"

--

Freezing, Maijra stared upward at the screaming clock tower in confusion.

**Hmm… **The same boy from the dream appeared behind the young master stood above the blackening pool. **I wonder if dat 'way' is now wide open?**

Maijra froze again, hearing the thoughts of the same boy reaching to his thoughts almost as if that so called creature was talking to him in his mind. He turned sharply and stared in shock at the looking alike stood crossing his arms across his chest, frowning seriously.

**When I try ta come ta where dat sound calls me… **The looking alike growled softly, his face sneering unhappily. **It stinks of dat bloody Death Gods.**

"You…" Maijra gasped remembering the creature. _—that time!!_

As he recalled the dream of how the beast strangling him in the darkness, he shuddered in fear.

The unknown boy smirked evilly. **Dey're comin'!**

With his invisible words…

**BA-M!**

As the mysterious cloaks appeared standing surrounding the young master and surprised him. Maijra froze in fear, still kneeling on the floor. "Huh?"

**GRAB! **He was grabbed from the behind, it was his friend/servant as Renjiro's left arm worming around the young master's neck, choking him slowly while the small sword in the right hand.

"Renjiro…?" Maijra choked in a mix of surprise and confusion, clenching on his servant's left arms.

**CLOMP! **Guujin stepped forward grinning sinisterly at the choked young master. "_**The awaited ones' signaling the bell sounded. The next thing we're supposed to do is…**_"

_STAB!_

His eyes widening in pain, Maijra realized he was in pain. Slowly, he glanced down at the source of his pain and it was the small sword impaling in his chest. Plus, it was his servant holding the small sword…

"_**A dear friend's blade glistening with blood!**_" Guujin exclaimed with a dark laughter. "_**GYAHAHAHAHAHA!!" **_

"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" The young master screamed in pain as the small sword was ripping out of his bloody wounded chest. "Ah…Guuu…" He choked and fell to the floor, clenching his chest painfully.

"_A drop,_" The leader of the Death Gods said suddenly, as the blood drop falling from the small blade. "_will carve a way to 'His' land._"

PLOP! The blood drop splashed onto the floor and the white symbol appeared under the young master and the young servant's feet, surprising the young master.

_WHIRLING!! _

Maijra paled, not understanding what's going on.

"_Now,_" the Leader continued. "_Let us begin the time of judgement!_"

The possessed servant started snickering softly, forward over the wounded master's shoulder while holding the bloody blade. _Heh Heh…_

"_**Your blood is…**_" Maijra heard the voice that wasn't coming from the servant's real voice, but almost as if it was someone wearing his friend's skin. "**—**_**different from the other human's… It smells delicious…**_"

_I don't understand…_

"_**Hah…I want…**_" The monster panted heavily, grinning evilly. Maijra froze, trembling in fear and his eyes dimmed. "**—**_**to see more!**_"

_What the hell is happening here?_

Jerking the blade upward for once more again, the grinning monster laughed crazily as the young master's eyes widened when the blade moved down quickly toward him. "GAAAAAAAAAAAH!!"

Suddenly, the wind whooshed surrounding the young master and knocked the possessed servant down to the floor. As the Death Gods backing away from the violent blue wind, one of them frowned at this sudden attack. "What the…?"

_SKID. SKID. SKID. _The servant was skidding onto the floor, looking dazed as the sword was knocked away from his hand.

**Well, well… **

Maijra perked up hearing the invisible voice, looking around in confusion and pain.

**And here I had hoped I could just be a spectator. **

_SHIIIINNNNNNNK! _The two black spears with several black chains surrounding the wounded master and drove the Death Gods away from the injured boy.

"_Seriously…_"

The looking alike boy appeared behind the wounded young master, slowly transforming into the frightening huge beast stood before the death gods.

"_**Ya are an unsightly thing, aren't ya, boy?**_" The black fox-looking beast in the formal clothes growled down at the wounded child of the Sankou family.

"Huh…?" Maijra slowly looked back at the beast.

"Again… Are you going to get in our way again?" The leader of the Death Gods sneered. "**GLUTTONY!**"

"Ha!" The looking alike boy now had a name smiled, looking over at the knocked out servant. "Pretty annoyin', huh? Even if I say I stopped dat reckless brat fer ya?"

Suddenly, Gluttony kicked Maijra down and stepped one foot on him. "Dis is my property! So keep yer damn hands off, Death Gods!"

Maijra blinked in pain, sweating a little. "Pro… Property...?"

"I just decided… Now shut up." Gluttony looked thoughtfully and then he glanced at the death gods. "Yo, Death Gods. If ya say ya are goin' ta kill 'im, then…"

He grinned. "I'll fight ya with all my might!" Pulling the wounded boy toward the Gluttony, he smirked. "I won't let ya take dat belongs ta me."

Snickering softly, he narrowed his sharp eyes. "However, I'm mistaken, aren't I?"

The now normal servant came to his sense, holding his head in pain. "Uuhh…" He sat up slowly, staggering.

"All of ya came…" The beast said snickering softly, "To drop dis brat into dat abyss, right?"

Hearing upon the beast's words, Maijra and Renjiro froze in shock remembering the story came back to them.

"_The emissary comes from 'abyss' to snatch those who commit heinous crimes. It's said that creature then takes them away to a truly terrifying place…"_

The leader of the Death gods stepped toward the wounded master, Maijra looked pale when the cloak person answered slowly. "That's…merely a tradition…"

Maijra gasped in horror and the Gluttony grinned widely. "Fufufu…" He chuckled softly, and then the beast threw his head back with a full burst of chilling icy laughter.

"_**MWHAHAHAHA!!**_" The beast laughed cruelly, the young master looked scared hearing the monster laughed. "_**Is that so? So dis boy is comin' over!**_"

Suddenly, the black spear ripped out of the floor startling one of the cloaked people. "HAH!" The beast crackled, "What a joyous moment!"

_WHOOSH!! _The spear with a chain followed into the swirling wind.

"**NOW CRY OUT!**" The Gluttony ordered loudly to the Death Gods, flickering his chain at the sword from the wall to the death gods who was avoiding the thrown weapon. "**Ya bunch of crazy, ignorant filth!**"

The looking alike boy laughed gleefully, "**Why don't we bless dis lamb headed fer dat abyss together?**"

Maijra stared fearfully at the laughing crazy beast.

_Something…_

And then something caught his attention; he saw his somehow wounded servant, Renjiro grabbed the leader's black robe. He gasped in horror.

_Is happening…_

"Renjiro…?" Maijra choked.

Clenching tightly on the leader's black robe, Renjiro glared upward at him weakly. "Tell me… What did the Young Master do?"

"FOR WHAT REASON MUST HE BE HUNTED BY THE LIKES OF YOU!?" He screamed furiously, tugging the leader's robe angrily. "THERE SHOULD BE NO REASON!!"

Noticing the hidden sword from the leader's robe, Maijra cried out to his angry servant. "Renjiro! Stop!"

"GET OUT OF HERE NOW!" He screamed as the lightning roared in the raining clouds.

_FLASH!_

Froze at what he had seen in the lightning's light, Renjiro gasped in horror at the leader's face that was looking away hiding under the hood.

_Rain…_

"You…" Renjiro gasped letting of the leader's robe, slowly backing away from the cloaked leader. "You… Are…!"

Taking this as chance, Maijra grabbed the fallen sword and ran toward the leader with a yell. "Get away… FROM RENJIRO! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!"

The Gluttony and the group of the cloaked people blinked in surprise at the sudden movement of the young master.

Renjiro gasped in horror at his master. "Young Master, you can't!" He yelled standing up, "This person is…!!"

With a yell, Maijra thrusted the sword…

…and the sword slashed across the servant's chest when he suddenly was standing in the master's path, preventing the attack from killing the cloaked leader.

Maijra stared in horror at what he had done to his own friend and servant. "What…"

The cloaked leader merely watched at the servant falling onto the floor, bleeding. His expression did not changed at all…

_THUD_

The wounded servant motionlessly on the floor, Maijra stared in horror at him and shakily dropped the bloody sword onto the floor. "R…Renjiro…?"

Renjiro did not move.

"W…Why…?"

Trembling, Maijra clenched his head crying in fear and heartbroken.

_I…_

He sobbed and sobbed.

_I… _

He fell on the floor with his knees, crying and crying.

_Renjiro…_

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGH!!" He screamed his fingers digging deeply into his head, tugging his hair. "ARRRRRGH!"

"Hmm…" The Gluttony chuckled softly, looking down happily at the heartbroken boy. "Dis is a real work of art!"

The leader gritted his teeth angrily and then he suddenly chopped through the beast's body with a sword by a flash.

The beast looked surprised at this and then he grinned, slowly fading into the darkness. "Hmmm…"

"**Be Gone… Phantom of the Abyss.**" The leader said strictly, pointing the sword sharply at the beast.

"_**Heh Heh Heh…**_" The fading beast chuckled softly, "Heheheh, that's fine."

Suddenly, Maijra felt the embracing arms around his chest and the voice from the behind. "I'm waitin'… Ya are comin' here…"

Maijra looked horrific.

"I found ya." The looking alike boy opened his eyes and smiled evilly, "…my key."

With this, the beast disappeared into nowhere leaving the defeated boy to face the death Gods.

Sword sheathing into the sheath, the leader walked toward the wounded boy.

"Sankou Maijra…"

The boy breathed heavily, his eyes closed tighter as the blood dripping from his forehead where he had gotten a hit.

Bump…

Bump…

Bump…

"I, who bear the chain of hell… shall now pass judgement upon thou…"

He looked up through his bangs, narrowing his half closed eyes at the shadow figure stood before him. "Haa… Haa…" He wheezed painfully, his arms stretching behind his back and locked by the iron chain.

Bump…

Bump…

Bump…

The dead body laying on the floor near him and the dead eyes staring accusingly at him, silently screaming and cursing at him. How can you do this to me!?

The shadow figure takes a black glove off his hand and reaching out to the boy.

"**Your Sin Is…"**

Bump…

Bump…

The shadow's bare hand takes the hold of the boy's hair and gripped him backward, forcing him to look at the very eyes of the deadly figure.

"…**Your Very Existence."**

Bum…

Bu…

Crackle—

Maijra saw the first glimpse of the black raven behind the leader, screeching loudly as it flapped its huge beautiful black wings.

_By black… _He thought awing at the sight of the black feathers falling in the air. _Wings…_

_**BOOOOOOOOOM! **_He realized the silver chains quickly wrapping around his body to trapping him and dragging him into the void of darkness with a scream.

_**You shall be dragged down…**_

_Finally, I saw…_

The final glimpse of the silent clock tower, he got to see it before he was violently dragging down into the darkness.

_A world so bright I almost want to cry._

His eyes slowly dimmed and dimmed.

_**RIIIIIIIIIIIIIP!**_

…_It was then, _

—_that was my consciousness was engulfed in darkness…_

…_**The End…**_

_**Or Not?**_

…

…

…

**End of the Prologue II**

* * *

Me: It was the end of Maijra Sankou's final story, his childhood past was ripped out of him and replaced that what made what he was now in the fifteen hundred years present…

Yamato: (grumbling under his breath unhappily) Time for sneak peek about upcoming the first chapter: **"Time is Running Out" **

_Something reflected caught his brown-reddish eyes, he turned and looking at the mirror as he noticed the white bandage-like cloth wrapped around his head with bit stain of a blood. He froze, staring at the mirror until the figure stepped in from the doorway._

"_Ah, you're finally awakened!"_

_Everything went white…_

Review this story, please.


	3. Time Is Running Out

Disclaimer: I do not own Xiaolin Showdown and its characters… But I own my characters and wu(s).

Me: Well, Prologue's over now. Chapter I is now began!

Please enjoy!!

* * *

…

…

…

_Fourteen years ago, the blue car drove down the street next to the beautiful view of the ocean. The dark purple spike-like haired boy with softened brown-reddish eyes glued on the screen of his favorite game video while he stuck his tongue out of his mouth in concentration._

_He was five years old and doesn't have any siblings or cousins. Sometimes he do missed his old friends from his old hometown. Of course, he and his family were moved to the new house in other part of the town._

_Everything went peaceful on the way… until then the tragedy suddenly occurred._

"_Uh… Mom?" The young boy asked unsure, still eyeing at the dark clouds slowly gathering together in the slow darkening sky. A gathering black cloud is a bad sign. _

"_Yes?" His mom answered looked back smiling at him, calming him down and his fear was already lifted. But nothing would calm his pounding heart and chilling his skin makes it stand up like goosebumps. _

"_I have a bad feeling about this. The weather didn't look too good, Mom." He said, looking upward his window and frowning at the darkness in front of him. This is bad… Very bad…_

_His dad let out an amused laugh, annoying the child about how cheerful his sire was, even if it is in a dangerous situation. "Hah! Matt… My boy. Don't worry about it." His dad laughed, grinning at the mirror and controlled his wheel he was driving very carefully on the road._

_He avoided his eyes connected with his dad, being shamed that he had been worried for nothing at all. He prayed hoping it wouldn't happen to them and arrived safely to their new house._

_But his prayer wasn't answered._

_**HONK! **_

_**SCREEEEEEECH!!**_

_**CRASH!!**_

_**SLAAAAAAASH!!**_

_Then next thing he saw was the white light flashed at him and his family before he feels suddenly being thrown around in his seat belt like a lifeless toy._

_He shut his eyes tightly, clutching his seat in fear and feels the cold and wet harshly hit him. Took him a minute to realize he was in the freezing water and opened his eyes to see his parents in front of him._

_Hanging there lifeless and limping like a lifeless Chinese doll in the ocean. A cold reality hit him like a pound of brick, he was in the ocean and he can't swim very well._

_And running out of his air too!_

_He choked widened his fearful brown-reddish eyes, clawing helplessly at his seat belt. And next thing he noticed in front of him and it was red ink floating from his parents. He realized it was not a red ink; instead it was a real blood._

_He cried out in horror, not caring that he was losing his precious air and gripped his mom's hand. To his surprise, his mom's hand wasn't warm and gently... it was only deadly cold and icily..._

_Like dead bodies…_

_He may be a young kid but he wasn't stupid enough to realize that his dad and mom are dead. His visions suddenly started to blur and he was slowly losing his air, luring himself into the state of sleep._

_He feels so cold...feel so dead...His heart slowly beating quietly and his eyes closed gently. At least he knows he will join with his mom and dad forever._

_He was sunk slowly into the darkness, his pain was already numbed and he was beckoning to sleep by the void of the under ocean._

"…_**ato?"**_

"…_**mato…?"**_

"…_**Can ya…"**_

"…_**.hear me…"**_

"_**...Yamato…?"**_

_He heard his name calling to him, silently wondering if he was still asleep. No… he quickly corrected himself when he sees the white light came back in the end of the dark tunnel and it was grown larger and larger. _

_He feels the soft under his back and the other soft covering his chest. The fluffy soft thing under his head, perhaps it was a pillow… _

_Wait… He was on the bed? If it is, then… _

_Where are his parents…?_

_His eyes opened slowly to see his vision still blurred and then suddenly, the bright light hit his eyes and he yelped shut his eyes tightly. Where am I? _

_He waited for his vision adjusted to the bright light and blinking rapidly at the white ceiling._

_Silence._

_Wait, white ceiling?_

_Suddenly, he sat up quickly and almost stumped as he feels a powerful spell of dizziness hit him on full head. He clutched his head with his right hand and his fingers brushed soft as he suddenly stiffed at this._

_Wha…_

_Something reflected caught his brown-reddish eyes, he turned and looking at the mirror as he noticed the white bandage-like cloth wrapped around his head with bit stain of a blood. He froze, staring at the mirror until the figure stepped in from the doorway._

"_Ah, you're finally awakened!"_

_Everything went white… _

--

* * *

**The Cursed Heart of Steel**

**Arc 3**

—_Time Is Running Out__—_

**Chapter I**

The eyes opened red blood colour, glazing upward at the clear sky as the clouds drafting lazily across the blue heavens. He stood there holding the backpack over his right shoulder, blinking sleepily and stared at the city instead of he expected to wake up to see the mountain.

_Where… am I? _He first thought, scratching his purple spiked hair in bored confusion. _Since when how I get here in first place, in some unfamiliar place no less?_

"I'm pretty sure I was sleeping at home a moment ago…" He mumbled to himself, staring at the civilians. "No… Wait, I think that stupid dog was screaming about something…"

Rubbing his headache forehead, Yamato frowned darkly. "…something about going to some sort of explore…"

Watching boringly at the faceless people and the foreign tourists coming in and out of the airport place, he suddenly remembered. _Oh yeah, I remembered now… Stupid dog. _

**-- **

**(Flashback)**

_In the early morning, the black birds screeched loudly as they flew over the skull-like mountain. Everything was quiet and peace… until then a noise broke the silence in the air._

_Knock! Knock! Knock! Knock! Knockknockknockknockknockknockknockknockknockknockknock!!_

**_KNOCKKKKKKKKKK!_**

_"QUIT POUNDING ON MY GODDAMNIT DOOR, YOU SKIRT-CHASING DOG!" The purple-spiked haired boy ripped his door opened and glaring tiredly at the grinning wolf-eared boy stood at his doorway._

_"What do you want?" He growled._

_"Geez! Chill out, buddy!" The "dog" lifted his hands in surrender, grinning playfully at him. "Since it's a long break from all battle…that we have fought in the past."_

_"So?"_

_"So? That's all you can say, Yamato?" The werewolf whined, dropping his hands at his side and pouted. "I have been planning to go see my packs with my little bro…Khu's going to back to the circus with his brother and cousin."_

_He scratched his white long ponytail hair. "Ciara is already going somewhere in Europe, saying something about the circle of witches or something like that." Then he paused and looked curiously at Yamato._

_Yamato scowled darkly, feeling something going to be bad for him if he can clearly see a plot behind the lecher's eyes. "What, dog?"_

_Lobo grinned. "Where are you going then?"_

_"Nowhere. I'm going to stay here and train." Yamato snapped and pulling his door closed, but the stupid dog stuck his foot in the doorway, preventing the door from completely shut. As then he bolted into the hot-tempered warrior's room with a large grin stupidly at Yamato._

_"Ah, ah, ah! No way I'm letting ya abusing yourself in a tough train. Master says you got a mail from whosever you know from the past."_

_Yamato blinked. "From the past…?"_

_"Yeeeeeeeeeep!"_

_"…"_

_"So, let's go? Let's go! Let's go!"_

_"…"_

**_PLOP!_**

_Lobo blinked blankly at the slumbering warrior and then he scowled darkly, shaking him almost violently. "You think it's okay to sleep until noon on the first day of summer vacation?!"_

_Opening his sharp crimson eyes unhappy at the unwanted guest in his room and then the quietly raged half-beast suddenly slowly sitting up and glaring at Lobo. "Let me make this clearly: I slept at **5 a.m.** from training. And who gave you **permission** to come into my **bedroom**?" He glowed darkly at the cowering werewolf from the distance._

_"Yammy-kun, you really wake up to bad temper, huh?" Lobo laughed nervously, gulping in fear._

_Narrowing his crimson eyes sharply, the steel wielder whispered low dangerously. "Screw your **so called** summer vacation. I'm getting damn tired of this **stupid** gag of yours, you boring people that follow the same pattern."_

_A scary dark red aura glowing surround Yamato, the shadow covering half of his face so the werewolf could see a pair of the evil red glowing eyes staring from the darkness._

_"You wanna go? Then, just **GO**!" He snapped, his low-pressure blood finally gave away and he suddenly fell asleep again._

_Silence…_

_Twitching quietly, Lobo said softly. "We can just go…?" He then clenched his hand shaking, grinning evilly. "All right! The low pressure evil lord has given his approval!"_

_"Fellow buddies!" The werewolf called almost too happy into the other room as the humanoid cats entered in, carrying clothes and a traveling pack bag. "Let's dress up the evil lord…"_

_A light brown cloud had seen from the window in a distance. An evil laughing of the lecherous wolf can be also heard from the distance of mountain._

_"…And bring him to the airport! Hurry, that one! No, not that one! Yes, that one!"_

_Meanwhile, at the airport…_

_The airplane was leaving in the sky, roaring loudly as the white lycanthrope waved happily at it. "There he goes now! He can thanked me for giving him a vacation!"_

_Kobo let out a nervous sigh, holding his head tiredly as the lazy cougar yawned, laying on the grass. "I didn't think he'll be happy once he fully awaken…"_

_In the airport…_

_Sleeping unaware of what's going on around him, Yamato grunted in his sleep. And then he tossed over in the chair and started snoring._

**(Flashback End)**

**-- **

So…

When the low blood pressure evil lord finally awoke from his slumber…

…He noticed he was all by himself… Alone… There is no sight of his idiot friends…

"I see…" Yamato said slowly, his eyebrow twitching and he was sitting alone on the branch near the airport, being surround by the faceless people and the foreign tourists coming in and out of the airport place. "That's how it was…"

Slowly, he stands up from the branch and looked around until he spots a sign from the distance to his left. "_'Welcome to Salt Lake City Int'l Airport!'_ That… dog-breathing bastard… He's dead."

He growled and then he sighed. "At least, it's not even far from my second hometown… Since…" He stopped.

The wind blew the different colorful leaves across the nineteen years old young man's face, gently brushing through his purple hair. It was the start of another winter this year.

The boy pushed his clawed hand through his wild spike hairstyle and continued walking down the sidewalk leaving the airport. He has seen everything there is to this world and nothing could surprise him anymore, not until now.

The young warrior stopped at his tracks, forgetting to breathe. Underneath the largest Oak tree stood a familiar looking man covered in the familiar uniform which it identified him as a doctor, watching the fallen leaves dance around his own ancient body. In his aged elderly face was a gentle smile.

He walked carefully towards the doctor, fearing that the latter might suddenly flee towards the opposite at the sight of a demon like himself. Yes, he considered himself a demon, someone who doesn't deserve happiness.

The doctor must have noticed his presence and looked up, not taking his smile off his face. "Is that you…Yamato?" The doctor's soft grandfather-like voice said, battling the sound of the gentle breeze that danced with his black hair.

So much like the doctor's voice brought his painful memories back…

Yamato nodded in acknowledging the doctor. "Dr. Ryuuchan… It's been a while since…" He trailed off slowly, remembering what was last time he had seen the old doctor.

_The glass of the water shattered all over the floor, spreading the looking water along with it while it's reflecting of the scared child's face._

_The doctor stared at him with shock-stuck expression on his face and slowly reaching for the child's shoulder. "Yamato?"_

_Yamato coughed, his eyelids closed with leaking of tears falling down his cheeks. "W-w-wh-where…. M-m-m-mo-mom…an-an-d…D-d-da-dad?" He said hoarsely while he coughed, looking up fearfully at the doctor._

_The doctor froze, his royal blue eyes gives away Yamato noticed and he knew it was truth. "Yamato, I…." He began._

"_NO!" Yamato snapped glaring at Dr. Ryuuchan with his brown-reddish eyes seem stopped the doctor from saying something worse. "I don't want to hear that! I don't want to believe that!"_

"_Yamato…" Dr. Ryuuchan said his eyes softened sadly, looking at the child trashing in the bed._

"_GO AWAY!" The five-years-old child shrieked angrily, his eyes become silted like an angry cat. "I DON'T WANT TO SEE YOU!"_

"_Yamato, I…" The doctor said tried again, shushes the angry child. "I know how your feels, Yamato…"_

"_NO!"_

_The floor and wall made of steel starts to trembling as if it was being responded to the angry crying child, creaking slowly startling the doctor._

_CRACK! The window lid made of steel squashed tightly, shattering the glass and showering the pieces of the windowpane shards over the floor._

_POP! POP! POP! The screws popped out of the something that made of steel with the metal screws. The screeching and shrieking from the metal while it's creaking and bending in different directions._

_Suddenly the floor made of steel under the doctor's feet, hurled him out of the child's room and sealed the door made of steel tightly. The doctor and some of nurses run to him, gawking at the sealed door. "Doctor…Wh-what happens?" One of the nurses asked, her lips trembling fearfully._

_Dr. Ryuuchan stared confusing at the melting sealed door. "I… I don't know…"_

It's been fourteen years since he went a violent fit on the poor doctor and trashed his hospital room. After that accident, he was forbid to see his doctor and locked up in a different room for a year. Now, the doctor stood there in front of him and smiling at him as if there was nothing happened between them.

Flashing his crimson eyes at the sight of a fragile mid-aged man almost looked the same as just like he remembered. The black hair with a hint of white-gray into a low ponytail with a white ribbon, old-fashion half-moon-like glasses on his nose, those sincere sea green eyes, wearing a formal black suit with a white shirt under that and black pant with a long sleeve-like doctor-style coat over his shoulders and with his shined black shoes.

_He is quite well and healthy… _He noted with a hidden smirk. _Now that's something he didn't changed for sure._

Letting out a relieved and grateful sigh, Yamato looked over at Dr. Ryuuchan fondly, momentarily blocking out the worries in his mind. And then he adjusted his traveling back bag on his left shoulder.

"Something is troubling you, Yamato?"

Forcing himself to look up at his old doctor, the hybrid warrior forced a small, bitter smile.

"Is it that obvious?"

The doctor nodded, smiling back. He guided him over towards a table near the cafe and sat him down. As Yamato had expected, there was an assortment of teapots and cups laid out on the table.

He groaned.

That old man reminded him so much of that stupid darkling.

--

"PFFFFFFFFFT!!"

Sipping the teacup, the darkling suddenly spat out the liquid all over his cousin. His cousin blinked in surprise, the green liquid dripping all over his started face and he stared back at the darkling who was sitting in front of him.

"Wha…What was that…all about…?" He managed to form the words through his state in shock, pawing dazedly on his face with a white cloth.

Luckily, his precious book he was reading is already moved safely from the unexpected liquid spewing of the darkling.

Wiping the remaining liquid off the table in embarrassment, the darkling shrugged his shoulders. "Probably just a bad bitter taste…" He mused completely in monotone, pouring another tea liquid into his half-empty teacup.

His cousin shot him a look, frowning. "Riiiiiiiight…"

Whoever _insulted_ him about his habit with tea have to go down in _hell_ for all he _care_.

--

An hour later, the sun started to setting behind the mountain and the falling leaves once more pilling all over the street.

"Thank you, Doctor." Yamato smiled, feeling himself grow lighter. "You're always there to help me. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have a life right now. I owe you _so_ much."

But Dr. Ryuuchan waved a passive hand in front of himself, smiling.

"You owe me nothing, dear boy. It is _I _who owe _you_. Without you, I fear that my son never would have chosen the right path. I have you to thank for saving him...and for saving me."

The nineteen years old boy blinked in surprise. _I don't know that doc had a son…?_

Yamato wasn't quite sure exactly what old man meant, but decided not to question him. Perhaps one day, if he lived long enough to have his own son, then he would understand. "Oh… Uh… Thanks…" He stuttered, his cheeks turned pinker and his red eyes averted away from the old man to the teacup.

If only stupid lecher wolf or tea-loving bastard knew he was blushing, they would never let him live it down without humiliation.

"You have some interesting tattoos there, huh?" He jerked, snapping out of his thoughts and blinked at the old doctor who glanced amusingly at his hands. Oh yeah, his blue marks…

Hastily, he tucked them into his jacket sleeves and averted his eyes away from the old doctor to the white table. Absentmindedly, he poked his fork at the dessert on the plate in front of him.

"Yeah… Got 'em from Inflicted Images Professional Tattoo Artists & Piercing." He said quickly, eyeing at the poster on the glass wall building beside the oblivious doctor. "Pretty cool, eh?" _Please believe me! Please believe me! Please believe me! _He thought warily, hoping the man wouldn't persist to questioning him for more.

The doctor blinked confusingly at the young warrior and nodded slowly, as he spooned the dessert and bit into the delicious strawberry ice-cream dessert. "I see. That is a quite unusual tattoo." He smiled, letting the young teen relax in the chair. "Tell me about your life as today now? I bet you have a interesting life?"

Yamato grinned. _You have no idea, doc. _

--

In the unknown location…

The cloak figure kneel down on the statue of an animal, grinning widely at the cursed boy chatted the aged doctor. The golden watch slipped through his pale fingers and hanging in the mid-air, being connected the golden chain to his hand.

_Tick… Tick…_

"No matter where ya run and hide," The mysterious being said in the darkness grinned insanely. "I'll find ya no matter what!!"

_Tick… Tick… _

"Remember…!" He chuckled. "Yer time is runnin' out! So hurry up 'fore its _too late_!"

_**TO BE CONTINUE…**_

…

…

…

**End of the Chapter I**

* * *

Me: Uh-oh… The mysterious clock is ticking away! Who is the Doctor's son? What about the blue marks? And what's reason why the one of the seven demons is targeting Yamato?

Time for sneak peek about upcoming Next chapter: **"The Grave" **

_The boy stood before the two gravestones, staring blankly down at the family name. What's going on?!_

_**The Zendi Family**_

_**Zendi Hikari 1963 – 1994 A beloved Mother**_

_**Zendi Takeru 1962 – 1994 A honorable Father**_

_**Zendi Yamato 1989 – 1994 A brave Son**_

Review this story, please.


	4. The Grave

Disclaimer: I do not own Xiaolin Showdown and its characters… But I own my characters and wu(s).

Me: Ugh… Thanks to stupid bug-infected piece of junk that deleted everything and caused all of programs dead and cold, so I had to get a computer and I have to redo everything! (tearful)

Khu: At least you saved this chapter to a memory card.

Me: (holding up a small blue card along with a green flash memory pen, sigh in relief)

Yamato: (scowls darkly at the hateful blue card) Damn…

Me: What's matter with you…(something clicked in her mind)… YOU DID IT?!?!?! (breath fire)

Yamato: (eyes wide) Oh crap! (runs away)

Me: (chases him)

Lobo: Uhh…Please enjoys reading this chapter! ^__^;;

* * *

…

…

…

_One night, the snow was falling. He had died. _

_His spirit could not rest. He still had a problem needs to be solved. But he could never confront it. The day he died was the day he became cold, cold as the snow. His body froze because of the snow, along with his heart._

_He never felt warmth…even if it was sunny. He felt nothing but the blunt ice that had swallowed his skin. His body was now a frozen 'sculpture'. Nothing can thaw it unless he wanted it to be thawed. _

_He couldn't decide whether to live…or die._

_A part of him wanted to grasp that he lost, the other telling him that if he just gave up…he'd be free of this misery._

_What will he do? _

_Mom…_

_Dad…_

_I really wanna to see you…_

_**SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHH…**_

_The quiet snake-like noise of something burning through metal and then a loud noise of something cracks to open the sealed door, revealing someone who is neither a doctor nor a nurse instead of just…_

"_Are you…Zendi Yamato?" _

…_An adolescent boy…_

_With a scent of a golden poppy invaded his sense of smell, unconsciously reminding the orphan of the mythical field of wild, bright yellow flowers under the warmth sunlight. The first thing the orphan had noticed the visitor, which he never had noticed before… _

_His eyes—_

* * *

**The Cursed Heart of Steel**

**Arc 3**

—_The Grave__—_

**Chapter II**

_BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BE_—

The fist crushed onto the annoying piece of a shrieking object on the table, the body in the dark blue bed sheet stirred with a grunt. The familiar spike hairstyle of dark purple poked upward from the sheet and then followed by the sleepy look on the boy's face.

"Yaaawwwn~" He opened his mouth and his fist covered it, stretching his left arm upward over his head and then he shuddered like a drowsy cat. "What is time now?" He muttered drowsily to himself, looking over at the wrecked digital alarm clock with flashing red numbers.

It says, '_8:45am'_.

Scratching his messy hair, he sighed as he hopped off the bed and let his bare feet landed on the cold floor. _Why the hell am I dreaming? _He thought sourly, glancing at the small calendar next to the wrecked digital alarm clock and it says, _November _30th in the red circle.

_Oh… _He thought sadly, remembering the miserable day. That day he lost them… and also the same day he had met _him_.

Let out a short sigh, he walked stiffly into the bathroom and his hand twisted the knob to turn the shower on, pouring the hot water through his pale fingers.

Taking the crimson pajama shirt off his chest, he glanced upward at the semi-fogged mirror. He noticed the old scars on his chest in the looking glass; his right hand slowly reached upward and traced the milky spider-like mark skin across his semi-tanned skin chest.

Because of this scar, he had almost died and lost his precious power of a demon to the underworld lord…

Stupid dog-breath admiral…

~*Flashback*~

_Snarling angrily at the small boy, the admiral raised the green burning claws in the air. "Weak annoying pest!" He said angrily, his venom dripping claws plunged toward the boy's head._

_Kobo shut his eyes immediately, bracing himself for the pain but he felt the warm and wet something on his face. He opened his eyes slowly and stared in horror as Yamato stood in front of him and the claws went through from his chest to his back, dripping with green venom liquid and blood._

"_Yamato…"_

_Yamato smirked, looking up to the admiral's face with his glinting crimson eyes. "It didn't hurt." He said with a deadly calm, startling the young Tiger of Light. "How pathetic that attack is…"_

_With his word, he pushed the admiral away with his strength as the claws came out of his chest, the blood with green venom liquid trailing in the air. The admiral's amber eyes widened at the older boy's strength as he landed his back on the ground._

It can't be! No one can pull those poisonous claws out of their chest!_ Admiral Roki thought in surprise, gritting his fangs. _Only one can do that and he's dead in 1,500 years ago!

"_I have been practicing the perfect attack… Now here's my chance to test it!" Yamato said smirking darkly, "Cobalt Serpent Claws!"_

~*Flashback End*~

The crimson pajama pant along with a boxer flew into the laundry container; the boy stepped into the shower area and now being soaked by the hot water shower. Closing his crimson eyes slowly, he sighed almost happily at the familiar feeling of the hot water scalding his pale skin that was turned into red.

_A price ya'll lose somethin' important to ya…_

The irritating voice of a grinning foxface echoes all the way through his memories, making the half-breed grimace.

_Yer humanity._

Exhausting sharply, he snapped the shower knob off and went for a white bathroom towel. Rubbing it on his face and then wrapped around his waist as he stepped out of the shower area and into the room.

Walking to his drawer, his tattooed hand reached into the folded clothes and picked up a different shirt. It was a new dark red shirt with a black snake on the center and a black collar. Pulling his shirt over his head and then he picked up his new boxer and a black jean with a silver chain attached with a metal ball.

Once when he finished dressing, he looked up lazily at the ceiling with a pained frown.

_Those days of suffering and hating my blood of a demon… I wished I were an ordinary human…_

He looked down at his shirt knowing where the scar was now hidden, touching it with a hesitation.

_And now I had had gotten what I wish, I want to go back…_

_To being a half demon again…_

Collapsing on the bed, he exhausted a tired sigh and titling his head upward with his eyes closed.

_But I can no longer__—_

_Go back to being ordinary human…_

_Again…_

Reopening his eyes slowly, he hopped off the bed and picked up his small black backpack. Then he went to the door, opening it and stepped out of the room.

_I don't understand…_

_Khu and I are different from the kids we were then…_

Remembering the silent boy he had met and fighting with all those days ago, he walked all way to the exit. Pushing the glass door, he was nearly blinded by the bright light and stepped out into the outside.

_All that we had precious things we wanted…_

The memories of his teammates, the master, the Dragons, and his parents flashed in his mind.

_As well as the loneliness we didn't want…_

The memories of an emotionless face of his leader with his painful past and then Yamato had the final moment with his first friend, Ramon, before his death.

_But now I get it…_

_My way is a lonely one. That's why__—_

Being distracted from his deep thought, he looked up at the waiting figure stood before him in a familiar white coat — an ex-doctor.

"Ready, Yamato?" The old doctor asked gently, holding the passenger door of his car for the young boy. As the half-demon can see the kindness inside the old man, he nodded.

"Yeah."

---

_The golden watch swung back and fro… in a slow motion…_

_A box filled with old photographs, family heirlooms passed from one generation to the next, a room filled with beautiful antique furniture; what do these things have in common? They all remind us of our history and give us glimpses into the past._

_Although, if they weren't meant to be known and seen. _

---

His crimson eyes blinked curiously, he stared at the vast black gate of the grave yard. He could see, smell, and taste the death in the air. He hadn't been to the graveyards since he was small, remembering his first friend before he moved out of China.

"Doc…"

Dr. Ryuuchan perked up upon hearing his nickname escaped from the young boy's lips, his old eyes averted from the frightening aura of the graveyard to the determined eyes of his ex-patient.

He hadn't seen so lively, high-spirited in the boy's eyes since the first meeting with his firstborn son and upon hearing the news of the little patient had "disappeared" from the hospital, he had quite worried and thought that child would died from hungry and would be attacked by some unfriendly bandits or untamed beasts.

_At least, I could thank for whoever took him under its wings and take great care of him._ He grinned.

"Doc..?" The old doctor snapped out of his thought and glanced at Yamato.

"Yes?"

Yamato grimaced for a second and then looked down at the dirty ground. "…Um… Where are their rests…?"

_Ah…_ The doctor nodded in understanding, pulling the boy's arm and strolling uncomfortably through the graves in the search of his family surname.

Yamato nervously followed the old man, glancing warily around at the graves and stopped when the old man stopped in front of two gray, cold, motionless stone with a bold name stated '_Zendi Family_'.

The boy stood before the two gravestones, staring blankly down at the family name.

_**The Zendi Family**_

_**Zendi Hikari 1963 – 1994 A beloved Mother**_

_**Zendi Takeru 1962 – 1994 A honorable Father**_

_**Zendi Yamato 1989 – 1994 A brave Son**_

He died?

He stared.

He _died_?

Stare…

He _**died?**_

Stare…

HE _**FRIGGIN' DIED**__**?!?!?!**_

And then silence filled around in the dead air, surrounding the boy and the man in the graveyard.

"**WHAT-THE-HELL?!!!?"**

The wind was still, and all movement halted, all ears listened to the angry boy swore loudly as the flock of birds and small animals squawking and squeaking in surprise, flee from the trees.

Dr. Ryuuchan sweatdropped, looking worried at the curse-spewing, shaking fists, fang-bared fuming boy. _Oh Dear…_

"EXPLAIN THIS, OLD MAN!" Yamato snapped glaring at the startled doctor, pointing accusingly at the tombstone where his name curved into. "WHAT IS THE HELL GOING ON, DOC?!?!"

_Oh boy…_

Sighing quietly, the aged doctor lifted his pale hand to run through his gray-colored hair and then picked his glasses from his chest pocket to put on his nose. "Well… Since you disappeared mysteriously in ten years ago, the kind nurse…"

_**Flashback**_

"_Doctor! Doctor! Doctor!!" The nurse in pink yelled frantically, running in the black polished heels to the walking doctor as the man in white holding the folder, looking up at her curiously and anxiously. _

"_Yes, Ms. Chan?" He answered gently, giving the folder back to another doctor while looked at her. _

"_The machine stated that child's not breathing! We can't get in because of the door had been sealed by a child himself!" The nurse whimpered, knotting her fingers in fear and worry. "We don't know what to do; even I don't know what to do either! You're his doctor! You should know what to do with him!"_

"_Calm down, Ms. Chan. Take me to him!" _

_As they ran in the hallway, avoiding doctors and nurses and patients and families as they reached to the 240 number door that was strangely sealed since he was awaken in a week ago. _

_However… there was a broken door down on the floor, a sign of burning through metal by a something like a flamethrower. _

_On the bed, there was no one and nothing sign of something went wrong or struggle. Then, there was a different boy stand next to the opened window, being soaked by an icy shower of rain. _

"_Where is Yamato, son?" Dr. Ryuuchan asked in shock as his stern glaze down at the young boy and the boy did not answer back._

_A five minute passed, as the silence in the air between a father and a son until finally, the lad spoke in icily, empty tone that he hadn't heard in years since his wife passed away. He had honestly thought the little child would restore his son's heart but that seem it did not bring him back if only for a second. _

"_He is gone, cold, and empty." _

_And there was a dead poppy lay on the white pillow with a hint of blood stain on it. _

_**Flashback End**_

"…and that's all we had heard his words so we assumed you were dead and never seen again." The old man averted his saddened glaze to the ancient ground. "But I continue to pray, no… I _believe_ you were going to a place where you were accepted by a beloved family."

Yamato frowned confusedly, trying to recall his time in hospital. His memories were so scattered all over and all blurred into making no sense of things he had seen in his dreams. Except for one thing he does remember in hospital is there always the scent of _poppies_.

Frowning in thought, he glanced upward at the aged doctor. "Where's he?"

Dr. Ryuuchan blinked in surprise and let out a tired sigh. "I do not know. He vanished next day after you _died_."

Nodding absentmindedly, Yamato turned around and walked through the graveyard, leaving the silent doctor alone.

_Who is that son of my doctor? Why can't I remember him? All I remember is the scent of poppies and the vision of the golden field. _

When he was in deep thought, he suddenly bumped into the person and both fell down on the dirty ground with a pained grunt. "Watch it, you---" He growled, then paused when his sense of smell hit the familiar scent he hadn't smell in his young life.

_Golden, sweet-scented poppies…_

_His eyes…_

Shock, he glanced slowly with some a little hesitation upward and saw a familiar boy stood before him, lending out his pale, _golden tattooed_ hand in front of his face.

—_**The gate to the past will no longer open. There's no going back to those days. There's no going back**_**—**

_**TO BE CONTINUE…**_

…

…

…

**End of the Chapter II**

* * *

Me: Oh, man, Oh man! I hadn't been updated this chapter since four months! Stupid college! Stupid weather! Stupid assignments! Stupid computer!

Lobo: (laughing nervously) At least, you didn't give up yet.

Me: (whirling around and glared at him) Are you saying I'm lazy?

Lobo: (sweat dropped) …Not…Exactly…

Khu: What he means is you refused to give up this story and abandoning it forever until another ten years.

Me: (blinks and blinks) O…Okay… (shook her head and smile happily) Let's see what I say in a sneak peek!

In the background, Lobo leaned toward Khu and whispered, "How heck you did to calm her down?" Khu just smirk and say nothing, but sipping a Jasmine green tea cup.

Me: What the?! Who is this mysteriously boy who had been meeting our hothead little warrior? What's up with yellow flowers and the golden tattoo? Time for sneak peek about upcoming Next chapter: **"The Poppies" **

"_Who are you?" He demanded to the silent, golden tattooed boy with his angry blood-red cat-like eyes. _

_--- _

"_What?!" _

"_I said I'm not a pure blood." _

"_Not a pure blood…Uhhh?" _

Review this story, please.


	5. The Poppies

**Disclaimer: I do not own Xiaolin Showdown and its characters… But I own my characters and wu(s).**

Yamato: Where the hell is that wench?!?! (pacing around swearing angrily) It's been nearly 9 months since she updated this chapter!!

Lobo: Probably she got a long writer's block. Or her college has been hard on her a lot. (munching on Halloween feast)

Suddenly, Lizgon slammed the door opened scowling darkly as she sulked toward the Halloween feast.

Lobo & Yamato: (look at each other, scratching head in confusion)

Shinyu: What's matter, young lady?

Me: While I was working on my art and stories, many things always manages to go so far pushed by my college assignments! Even, October has become a worse month for me! Look! (shoved the pile of college assignments) A lot of homeworks! And! (then pointed at the photographs) Thanks to October's worst rain, it had been causing a lot of car wrecks! Even I'm in it too! Bad experience for me! (head thumped onto the table, sigh heavily)

All Muses: ….

Ciara: Your rant is, indeed, as expected. It's been quite long since you've been relieved of your stress. (patting on my back)

Lobo: So you updated a new chapter, eh? (grins) Did it mean you're back to normal again?

Me: (looked up looking calm now) Yeah. I finally get back on my feet again. I'd like to apologize to all my reviewers and Kosmic for I have been unresponsive since I've spoke to all of you. I'm no good for writer and girlfriend. I'm sorry about that.

Yamato: Aw, quit it! Stop bowing at them a lot! It's annoying! (picking me up from the bowing stance) I'm sure they understand how hard you have been through college life and cyber life. So they are experienced the same thing too. (look at reviewers and Kosmic) Right?

Muses: O__O

Lobo: Is… Yamato being nice….?

Muses: OH NO! THE END OF THE WORLD IS COMING!!! (screaming and running around)

Yamato: ¬¬ (burst an angry vein mark) GRRR!!

Me: (sweatdrops)

Lobo: Uhh…Please enjoys reading this chapter! ^__^;;

* * *

…

…

…

_The pendulum…_

_Heads in an unfamiliar direction…_

_Take us back… But, for the time being, Father Time…_

_The saga continues to unfold right before our very eyes…_

_To our short-lived moment in time…_

_That's why there is probably no reason to honor the promise from long ago. _

_What's more—_

—_My presence here is no longer needed._

* * *

**The Cursed Heart of Steel**

**Arc 3**

—_The Poppies—_

**Chapter III**

_**CRAAAAAAAAAAASH!!!!!!!!!**_

People trembled all around as the upper floor in the distance exploded with fury. Clouds of ash rose from the fourth upper right window in a six row and into the air. Like a great storm cloud it approached and outsiders looked up as ash began to fall like rain. It looked like the end of the world, maybe it was. All around buildings and streets were being covered in the substance. The only logical direction to take was simply to take cover, and they did just that.

The fist crushed into _a bloody wall _in front of a panting, infuriated teen. There was a chaos within a room; a flapped up-down bed, a shattered television with a smoking static steaming upward from its busted screen, a pieces of some smashed chairs scattered all over the floor, and one cracked window.

"D-damn…it…"

Cursing silently under his winded breath, he slowly turned around and plopped his back onto the wall, then slide down onto the floor sharply exhausted.

"What in seven hells that bastard was blabbing about?" He mumbled under his breath, looking blankly at the messy floor that was covered by pieces of glass and wood. He thought back to their strange conversation on that day.

"_Who are you?" He demanded to the silent, golden tattooed boy with his angry blood-red cat-like eyes._

_The hooded boy remains silent, patiently waiting for Yamato to accept his hand and then gave up, letting his hand fell limply to his side again. And then out of the blue, he stepped in the light and that turns out he was a man, not a merely boy. _

"_You know me, Yamato." He ignored the wary look on the hot-tempered boy and went on. "I have been warning you back then and yet you unheeded…now, it is nearly time for the payment of the life-debt."_

_Yamato gaped. "Life-debt?" _

"_Yes. It's a debt it had been in fifteen hundred years for each descendant… Each of them in their separate locations with their separate feelings, they had had shut the door that is connecting to their pasts and never return to it… Their key shall cut the thin air to unlock it…With a heart of steel, of course…"_

_The soft tone at the end of sentence caused the half-breed frown in puzzlement. _With a heart of steel? What the hell was that means?

_His hooded eyes narrowed upon at the confused child. "However…"_

_The flash of the golden tattoos seen visibly on his bare skin, the jerk motion of the hooded face, as he frowned sternly down at the gaping boy lie on the wet, dark grass. _

"…_The chain of fate will become rust and crumble down to the ground, the demons of the past will snap upon your heels and dragging you down to the darkness of abyss at the moment when the chronometer will give one final strike."_

_He gave the piece of a white notepaper to Yamato. "I shall give you a day to think about what I said. Come to me once you are done thinking." With this, he turned around and vanished into the shadow. _

Yamato frowned at the memory of what the mystery stranger, who had been the son of his doctor, spewing some nonsense speech to him. "Abyss?" He repeated, scowling at the thought of his battle against the devil.

"Abyss?" He paused. _The darkness of abyss…? What was that all bloody about?_

And then he chuckled in disbelief, closing his crimson devilish eyes. Scratching the wall, leaving the claw marks behind. The bluish symbol glowing faintly on his bare hands and the fingernails slowly turned into black talons.

He grinned.

"Those threats don't work on me anymore!"

…**If only he knew who had spoke those words before… **

…**will end up regret those words…**

---

Meanwhile in a week later, a small house-sized camper near some of the large circus tents, the black cell phone with a purple swirl suddenly started beeping louder and louder.

_BEEEEEP! _

_BEEEEEP!_

_BEEEEEP!_

_**BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE----**_

The tanned hand snapped out of nowhere and grabbed the annoying piece of a shrieking object, and then a calm yet unhappy tone answered to it. "Yeah?"

"_**Yo, Khu!**_" A familiar greeting word reached to the silent person's ear. As the said person rolled his piercing amethyst eyes at the voice as he greeted coolly. "Lobo."

"_**How are you,**_ _**buddy?**_" Lobo's voice cheerfully, as Khu could almost see the infection grin stretching widely on the white haired boy's face.

"Quite good." The darkling answered, placing the cell phone on his right shoulder as he pulled the chair to sit down, picking up a book titled **EON Dragoneye Reborn**, a dragon book he was given by a crazy dragon-loving woman who had been awakened after one thousand fifteen hundred years.

_Scary woman…._

_Wonder why I must read that book?_ With his eyebrow twitched in annoyance, he let out a defeated sigh.

"Lobo, what are you doing?" He tilted his cell phone, wondering why the lycan suddenly fall silent.

"_**It's been a week since I… sort of… tricked that hothead into taking a vacation… Now he hadn't been answering to my calls.**_"

_You mean he had been ignoring you because you're the one annoying him to death? _Khu had to resist the urge to point out to the idiot lecher, and then instead he mumbled wryly. "No duh, Lobo…"

"_**So cold, O leader!**_" Khu knew, without a doubt, that werewolf was being sarcastic into his mobile. "_**Anyway, my pack told me there's a strange wandering hunter with orange eyes.**_"

Startled at the sudden mention of a strange man, Khu stopped reading the book and closed it with a sharp snap. "You're saying there's a hunter with strange orange eyes?" He asked curiously, frowning at the black mobile.

"_**Yah, my wolves saying he's…well, like something wrong with his sane… I have seen him myself, that man's not anything like ordinary hunter we had across, Khu. He's insane!**_"

With a sigh, the warrior of darkness closed his eyes ignoring the lycan's nonsense words. _I see… So just like Master Young, that hunter's no ordinary civilian. _

"Khu?"

Upon hearing his name, Khu opened his eyes and looked at his cousin stood in the doorway. His gaze was unreadable and as he continued to stare at him without speaking, Rai could feel himself becoming uncomfortable.

Not able to bear the awkward silence any more he quickly blurted out, "We're getting ready to leave…Boss wants to go now and threatened to leave you behind... I volunteered to go get you because…. Well, because Marcus was getting a little worried and… so here I am and here you are and… well, I didn't mean to disturb you, but we really need to go so…"

His lips twitched in a small smile, Khu finally spoke. "I will go ahead in a sec."

The wind boy nodded and then he disappeared out of the dark brunette haired boy's amethyst eyes as the dark warrior turned his head back to the cell phone he held to his ear.

"Lobo?" His lips twitched upward, as his free hand reached for the black laptop near him and pressed a few buttons.

_Click. Tap. Tap, Tap, Tap, Tap… Click. Click. Tap, Tap… Click, click, click…and click…_

Then a familiar face popped in the screen of his laptop. A grinning idiot with crimson eyes and dressed in the black leather clothes with a trademark of makeup face paint. He smirked._ Bingo… _

"_**Yea?**_"

"Call that_ idiot_."

"_**W-Wha--?**_"

_Click. Beep. _

----

In other side, Lobo yanked his dark gray mobile away from his dog-like ear and stared down at it in disbelief.

Kobo appeared in the entrance of the deerskin tent, looking worried at the older brother's expression on his face. "What's wrong, big brother?"

"He… hanged up. On me." Lobo answered in a daze, staring disbelief at his dark gray mobile. "How cruel of him… Typical." With a heavy sigh, he flipped it closed and pocketed into his white jean pocket.

Feeling his concern for his brother suddenly vanished, Kobo rolled his eyes at his idiotic brother's comment. "Now what?" He asked curiously, crossing his arms as his sense of being typical young teenager kicked in. "I didn't like to have a hunter in our territory. We should do something about him."

"Khu says we have to call that _unintelligent-looking_ whiz kid." Lobo said distasteful, stomping into the tent to gather all of his stuffs he need for going on a trip.

Kobo blinked in surprise. "Why do we need him for?" Remembering the most annoying teenager in the world, he let out a weary groan. "We can handle that hunter ourselves, even without having an accident-prone coward."

Looking up at the clear blue sky, Lobo grinned widely for the first time since they split apart for their short vacation.

"There's no way we can understand his strange way of thinking, Pup." His fangs glinted gleefully under the sunlight. "At least he's suddenly back on his feet again since after the death of that prideful angel-like bastard. That's so typical of our emotionless leader…"

His dark gray eyes looked thoughtful._ Since after you brought me back to live, why you had that look as if your world already had all fallen apart upon…?_

----

Meanwhile, the very same man, who had approached Yamato, entered his apt dropping his shoes in the entrance floor as the female voice called out from the kitchen.

"Did it go well?"

He looked up to see the familiar woman stood at the entrance of the kitchen room, holding the cooking spoon and her face expressed the concern and anxious. It was a gorgeous, long black haired green-eyed woman in the white dress.

Smiling weakly at her, he took a cloak off his shoulders and replaced it on the hook on the wall by his right side. "My Lady… It should be up to the child's decision whether if he accepted my offer or not." He said with a tired sigh and plopped into the soft chair in the living room.

"Sometimes, I wonder if it was my mistake that day when I tried to stop my master…" His eyes flickered up at her and then at the fireplace, watching the dance of the fire quietly. "…Or if it was my destiny to have him dragged for his punishment…"

The Lady let out a huff and shook her head, walking over to the weary man and kneed beside him patting his knee softly. "I know, my elder brother and I have left him in a journey that same day and wouldn't know if that was that same sign when it strikes upon the fate day."

She looked back to the fireplace, listening its creaking and shrieking in the burned firewood. "The same fate that trapped him and it is also the same fate that spares only three of us…"

The man lowered his head, spying over the golden tattoo over his skinny hands and then clenching into fists in silent agony. _Master… What happened to you when you were disappeared that day when you were bedridden?_

The lone black knight sits quietly on the chessboard, collecting some dust for one thousand fifteen hundred years…

Waiting for a game to reset again…

----

_That day…_

The silent hunter stood faced toward beyond the mountain, staring stoically at the rising orange-red sun. A strange, floating ancient Chinese compass above his palm, glowing in the holy light softly in front of his stony face.

The trembling, tiny, red arrow pointed toward the western mountain, something beyond that mountain.

Lifting his orange eyes away from the magical compass and looked into the glaze of the sun, his face suddenly become hardened and his eyes icier.

_The demon I shall find you and kill you to get revenge for murdering the entire village I live in. You damned vile demon! _

An insane, murderous grin stretched across his face, he nearly crushed the compass inside his fist until his knuckles turned into very pale white. The image of the beast with these devilish glowing eyes in the darkness, the inferno burning and the pained screaming of the villagers in the background, the sparkling white fangs grinned sickeningly appeared in the hunter's mind.

_I will be the one to ripped your hollowly, beating demon heart out of your flesh, just like you did to me… to these children… to their parents… all my people! _

His hand clenching tightly onto his chest where the large white scar across his chest those some were visible through his half opened shirt.

"Easy there, boy!" The sarcastic voice mocked above his head, causing the hunter looked upward while his insane grin disappeared in a second. "I wouldn't make that ancient wound of yours reopened again, if I were you."

It was the tiny, red chili bean grinned sinisterly sat on the black and red parrot that was perching on the highest branch of the oak.

"….Hannibal Roy Bean…"

The said bean grinned at the hunter, lifting the vine-like arm in the air and waved. "Ah, I'm flattered that you remembered who I am, hunter!" He cackled with pure glee.

The hunter narrowed his bright orange eyes for a minute then lowered them a bit, in deep thought. "Do you swear that there is the spawn of the devil somewhere I have been hunted for one thousand fifteen hundred years?" He asked calmly, as the female-looking red lizard crawled onto his right shoulder, wrapping her dark green mane-like tail around his neck and flashing her green eyes at the bean and his faithful parrot.

"Yuushi-dono… Are you positively sure that we should trust that talking ugly pea?" The crimson lizard turned her head, curling her fangs in openly disgust at Hannibal who glowered darkly at her. "It's been one thousand fifteen hundred years and yet still we haven't found the demon. So why we should trust his words to find what we are looking for?"

She pointedly ignored him as the bean cried out in rage, "I'm not an ugly pea! I'm a BEAN!"

The silent hunter turned his back on the annoyed bean, looking across the thousands of acres. "Be gone. I shall call upon you when I found what I am searching for." He said coolly after another three minutes of silence filled between them, as the lizard smirked at the squawked parrot and licked her lips hungrily.

Hannibal frowned, gritting his ugly yellow teeth angrily as the parrot spreads his wings, flapping away from the branches, carrying the tiny bean into the sky. "I swear one day I will get rid of a _so called_ warrior like you from the past!"

Watching them become small and disappeared into the light, the hunter let out a sigh in relief. "Good ridiculous." He mumbled to himself, picking up the strange-looking staff from the ground and his beloved straw hat onto his head.

"Once we get rid the demon and the tiny pea-brain, shall we return to Master's Temple again?" The crimson reptile asked her shy-blue eyes wandering to the hunter's orange eyes.

Yuushi looked back to his only transporter and returned back to his mysterious staff he had quietly fussed over. "No."

His transporter blinked in surprise at his blunt response, she frowned at him in anxiously. "You didn't think… After 1,500 years, you still believe there is no longer Master's Temple, even after Dark War."

Her green eyes averted away from her master to the forest behind them. "You left more than a couple of years before Dark War. Since 1,500 years, I haven't heard nor seen the tail of that crybaby gecko…."

((In Xiaolin Temple, Dojo sneezed over the scrolls that he was reading while was bored out of his mind as the clouds of dusts flying anywhere in the room and making the poor old master coughing.))

"….that cold-hearted scarred snake-face bastard…."

((Near Rio, the large tent, Gojo suddenly stopped sipping at the coffee cup and glanced down at it wondering why he felt a sudden chill through his cold blooded scaled skin….))

"….and that lying fat arrogant iguana thief!"

((Somewhere in Russia, the yellow-like rounded iguana-like reptile practically inhaled every foods on many plates and then he suddenly choked on the giant chicken leg with his eyes swelling with tears and his tiny clawed fist pounding his chest loudly while in the background, the mythical-like waiters panicked at his poor state. Wait, why he wasn't with Master Monk Guan at the temple….?))

As the tiny, crimson dragon continued grumbling under her breath, the hunter smiled genuinely. _Xiu…_

_(Flashback) _

_1,500 years ago, after the defeat of Leviathan the mysterious boy in the long, old worn brown cloak sat under the wilting cherry blossom tree. His cold orange eyes glowered in the darkness in the frightened way; it would make the ordinary fire looks harmless._

"_What the hell are you doing here in those horrible, ugly cloak, human boy!?!?" the creature popped out of nowhere, staring disgustedly at the boy's cloak. "And by the way, this is my tree!"_

_Narrowing his orange eyes at the creature, the boy scowled. "Then I will leave." With this, he attempted to get up from the wet, cold grass with a strange-looking staff. _

_The creature's green eyes widened in sudden realization, recognizing the staff and the saddened state the boy was end up in. "Wait… That staff… You're the one of __**them**__!" She grinned excitedly, crawling over to him and climbing up to his shoulders. "But you're injured… You should stay over at my den, it's nice and warm!" _

_The boy glared. _

_The creature grinned unflinchingly at the human's vicious stare. "I'm Xiu Ryuu Chu of the Ryuu Clans. You are…?" _

"_Yuushi." _

"_Well, Yuushi-dono! From today, I shall be your guardian!" declared Xiu grinned wickedly at the grumpy boy. "I have a wonderful feeling, when I'm with you; it's going to be a very interesting adventure for us." _

_(Flashback Ended) _

The hunter, Yuushi, looked back to the beyond mountain. Griping the staff tightly, he had a cold determined look.

_Yes, Xiu…_

_When you're with me, it's going to be a very interesting adventure for us…_

----

On the morning, the sunlight brightly through the leaves of the woods as the familiar figure in the familiar clothes stood in front of the door.

"Hmm… This is _340_ on this door, right?" The teenage boy remarked warily, comparing the numbers on the note he had in his hand and looked up at the same numbers on the grayish-blue door.

Taking a deep breath and then let out slowly, he lifted his fist and knocked twice on the door. _He'd better not be lying to me… or else I'll---_

His dark thought was cut off when the door opened and the lady appeared at the doorway, startling him. "Hello?" The lady said with a motherly tone, her beautiful eyes peering through her long black eyebrows.

Yamato gapped at her, nearly dropped the note but he seized it back and stuttering helplessly as he didn't know how to talk to this beautiful woman before him. _At least it wasn't the devilish anti-aged old hag… _

---

Liz Gon and Wuya, in two different time and two different lands, both sneezed violently and thought in union at same time.

_It must be a certain someone insulted about me… I'll kill him!_

---

"Um… Is, is this number 340 door, right?" Yamato asked scratching behind his head awkwardly.

The lady's eyes lightened up in realization. "Yes. So you must be Yamato Zendi, correct? He's expecting you." With this, she widened the door to let the boy in and walked toward the kitchen while telling him where to find the man. "He's in the living room right now."

Yamato thanked her awkwardly, his crimson eyes darting to the door that connected to the living room as the lady walked away. He walked toward to the door and pushed it opening, peeking over to see the familiar cloaked man sat calmly in an Indian style in front of the giant fireplace.

"So you've come after all, Zendi." The cloaked man stated looking into the fire.

Startled, the warrior of metal stared at him in disbelief and then shook his head. Then he had a brave determined look, clenching his fists at his sides. "That yesterday you told me all those things… What do you meant by that? The heart of steel? The abyss? I want them answered now!"

The man looked over his shoulder, his face was still hidden under his hood and then he sighed heavily. "Is that so? That is what you brat thinking all day?"

Yamato twitched angrily. _WHAT?!_

"Humph…" The man turned back to the fireplace, pointedly ignoring the enraged boy. "So it's useless after all..." He grumbled to himself, knowing the hothead could hear that easily.

"WHAT?!?!?" The half-human snarled at him as his face flushed bright red in anger, glaring deadly at the back of the man's head. "I'm not USELESS, YOU BASTARD!"

"I rest on my case…" The man smirked.

"YOU…."

As Yamato was about to say something, the other man appeared at the doorway, leaning on the side looking amused at the situation. "You should stop teasing him. He's still the same brat as we all know, love and hate."

Yamato looked confused, blinking at the odd man wearing odd clothes. "Who the hell are you? Why the hell is that shit you're wearing?!" He whirled around sharply, glaring evilly at the cloaked man. "And you, you fucking old man, too!"

The odd man glanced at the cloaked man. "Wow, he's got some pretty dirty mouth, isn't he?"

The cloaked man grimaced. "Unfortunately…"

"Well, Ren. You should tell him some truth. It won't hurt him, even if it's right in front of his nose."

_Ren…?_ Yamato blinked looking at them, his eyes narrowed in suspicious. _What truth?_

The cloaked man let out a tired sigh and looked back at Yamato, holding up the gold mark of a tattoo all over his hand and arm. "I'm not a pure blood."

Yamato blinked. "What?!"

"I said I'm not a pure blood."

"Not a pure blood…Uhhh?" Yamato turned to the odd man and back to the cloaked man again. "You… mean… You're not normal human, are you?"

The cloaked man nodded, looking up as his eyes locked into the boy's crimson eyes. "Unfortunately, yes."

Yamato started at the familiar face he had only seen in his dream. "You…"

The face of the dead he knew with some familiar scent of gold poppies.

—_**The gate to the past will no longer open. There's no going back to those days. There's no going back**_**—**

_**TO BE CONTINUE…**_

…

…

…

**End of the Chapter III**

* * *

Me: What the?! Who is this mysteriously boy who had been meeting our hothead little warrior? What's up with yellow flowers and the golden tattoo? Time for sneak peek about upcoming Next chapter: **"A Price Cost Your Life" **

"_This scar is a symbol for a price cost my life." _

_---_

"_Why should I created something I didn't know what to fix?!" The genius shouted angrily, slamming the thick papers onto the table and glaring at the idiot lecher. "That's no way to restore to its ordinary shape again! Only one way to restore its ancient power is to find the legend of eternal!" _

_--- _

"_Who the hell are you, you bastard?! Why the hell are you had to kill me with a staff of yours?"_

"_You are the demon I must to destroy." _

"_What?!"_

Review this story, please.


	6. A Price Cost Your Life

Disclaimer: I do not own Xiaolin Showdown and its characters… But I own my characters and wu(s).

Yamato: ¬¬ (burst an angry vein mark) What took you so long time to update this chapter?

Me: (sweatdrops) Uhh, writer's block and college classes are sure a lot of hard working to do. At least that's good news, I defeated my Math class this semester. ^_^

Kobo: Congrats on the Math class! It took only two months to get pass the class! Amazing!

Khu: I knew it. Our Lady wouldn't go down like that.

Ciara: Looks like she won't need my spells to help.

Lobo: She's too stubborn for that. (nods)

Yamato: Tch. (cross arms sulking)

Ciara: Say something or she'd thinks you didn't believe that she could do it.

Yamato: There's no way she did it! There isn't a proof she passed! She's an idiot! (then he froze when there is an bad aura of doom behind him)

Lobo: Uhh…Please enjoys reading this chapter! ^_^;; (ignores the pained scream from the hot-headed warrior of steel)

* * *

…

…

…

_The world around him was quiet…_

_Everything seemed to glow with an unnatural light…_

_It was just a memory…_

_Truly, he had almost everything that life could offer…_

…_So what left him feeling empty?_

* * *

**The Cursed Heart of Steel**

**Arc 3**

— _A Price Cost Your Life__ —_

**Chapter IV**

* * *

"You…"

Staring blankly at the man sit on the pillow before him without the cloak hood on, the familiar-looking black hair flowing freely over his shoulders, Yamato's face become ghastly white as the boy stood there numbingly. "You're the one I met that day…"

_(Flashback)_

_The quiet snake-like noise of something burning through metal and then a loud noise of something cracks to open the sealed door, revealing someone who is neither a doctor nor a nurse instead of just…_

"_Are you…Zendi Yamato?" _

…_An adolescent boy…_

_With a scent of a golden poppy invaded his sense of smell, unconsciously reminding the orphan of the mythical field of wild, bright yellow flowers under the warmth sunlight. The first thing the orphan had noticed the visitor, which he never had noticed before… _

_His eyes—_

_The reddish-brown eyed boy let a weak cough, struggling over the white blanket that was tucked under his chin as he looked at the visitor. "Who… are…you…?" With this, he glanced back at the door and then back to the visitor again. "And… How did… you get in here…?"_

_Suddenly, he saw something silver flashed and he let out a startled yelp as he dodged the knife that was plunge into his pillow. He could feel the tingling pain from his cheek, a drop of blood from the cut tainted on the pure white pillow he was lying on. If he hadn't dodged that, he will be choking to death by having that weapon in his throat… _

That was close… _He thought, gasping for air trying to calm his wild thumping heart._

"_Hey! Why did you have to do that for?" Yamato growled, turning around sharply and glared suspiciously at the not-so-friendly visitor. "Just who are you already!"_

"_Relax… You will understand, Zendi." The black haired boy walked over to the bed and yanked the knife from the pillow, leaving the hole in the pillow case. "You will die if you are still remains in this room." _

_Yamato blinked slowly, staring at him in confusion. "What?" He asked, climbing off the bed with a pained wince. _

"_**He**__ is coming for your power." _

_With this, the mysterious teenaged boy get hold of the young injured boy and shoved him toward the opened window. "You must not let __**him**__ get hold of you! You must escape!" _

_Yamato opened his mouth, but the sound of the fast paced footsteps toward the door behind them made him shut his mouth in surprise and confused. "Go!" _

_Hearing the older boy's stern demand, his red-brown eyes widened in fear at him and then at the door and then at the opened window in front of him. Without warning, he blindly leaped through the window leaving the mysterious visitor alone. _

_Through the air he was falling, one thing he will never forgot in his life since meeting the unknown boy…_

_His eyes—_

_(Flashback End)_

"Your eyes…"

The mysterious man in the cloak smiled as the now teenaged hot-headed boy stood in front of him, blood red eyes narrowed accusingly at him. "And now there's something I never seen before, it wasn't there when I met you." The warrior of Metal said nodding his head toward the man's hand; it was covered by the golden marks.

"What are you?" Yamato demanded in his tone steely, crossing his arms across his chest angrily.

"Well, looked like we hadn't got a choice at all, Ren." The other man said wirily, smiling at the uncloaked man who sighed in defeat.

"Fine." Ren growled at the man and then looked back at Yamato. "Sit down, Zendi. I've got a long story to tell…"

—

Somewhere in Russia, a young woman in the black dress mumbling as she tossed something in the black cauldron with a suspiciously boiling green liquid-like water.

"An eye of a lizard….a black wing of a bat….a tongue of a devil…a silver blood of a unicorn…. "

As she was reading out loud in her ridiculously giant thick black witch book, her dark green cell phone suddenly started wailing almost like a shriek of mad woman. Unfortunately, that noise distracted her as she accidentally spills the wrong bottle that she grabbed before, it poured the disgustingly blue blood in the pot and it went boomed in her face in the black ash.

"Ah, damned thing _annoyed_ me!" She growled, glaring furiously at the wailing tiny cellular phone for few minutes before she seized it upward and placed on her left ear.

"Hello, this is Ciara speaking. Speak quickly before I cursed you into an ugly mud-smelling toad!" She was practically snarling into the poor innocent phone.

"… _I see you're in horrible mood…"_A familiar voice from the mobile asked meekly. _"…Should I call you back later?" _

Ciara was taken back in surprise, gaping blankly at her mobile. "…Is that you, Lobo?"

"_Yeah, that's me, babe!" _It was the typical relay she expected from the lecherous idiot. With an irritated sigh, she took the rugged clothe to wipe all black ashes off her face.

"Don't ever call me 'babe' or you'll find yourself in the pile of poisonous, wolf-eating snakes!" She threatened, throwing the used clothe away and rubbing her forehead for the headaches. "What do you want, dog?"

"…_W-well…Actually…"_

Ciara frowned puzzlingly at the unusual tone from the white wolf's voice within her cell phone. _What's with that tone? Is something wrong? _

"…_I have to ask you a favor." _

The young witch of the wood blinked in surprise, her hazel eyes widening. "What…"

—

Meanwhile…

In the park, the spiked purplish haired teenaged boy walked through the trees with his arms behind his head in a deep thought. "A price cost your life, huh?"

Looking up at the sunlight peeking through the leaves of the oak trees, he stepped over the loose root on the ancient path he was now walked upon. "Maijra…" He growled under his breath, narrowing his cat-like red eyes angrily as he could see the grinning fox's face in his mind. "When I see you, I'll show you who's laughing."

((Flackback))

"…_This scar is a symbol for a price cost my life." Ren finished, slowly pulling the sleeve over the strange marks on his hands while keeping his eyes on the Heylin Tiger brat's reaction to his story._

"_So…" Yamato licked his lips nervously, suddenly he felt like something out of the order when he listened to the mysterious man's story. "What am I suppose to do? There's no way I can beat that grinning bastard! His speed is inhumane…"_

_He gritted his teeth tightly, remembering how he felt useless the first time when he had a sword at his neck. Gripping on his knees, his knuckles were turning ghastly white as he glared hatefully at the deep crimson carpet with a golden Chinese dragon. "I had to be saved by that stupid Xiaolin cowboy…"_

_With his dark crimson eyes flashed to Ren's eyes, Yamato had a look of a determined warrior. "You fought him yourself, didn't you? You know him…" He stated, searching on the man's face for something hint he wanted to know. "As if you are his friend… or something like that?" _

_Ren remained silent. _

_The other black haired man spoke out of nowhere, smiling not so innocently in the youth's opinion. "Something like that, Zendi." He said calmly, picking up a white china teacup from the woman who brought the foods and drinks on the tray. _

_Yamato turned his head sharply, glaring suspiciously at the black haired man. "Who are you?" _

_The black man smiled slyly, "Well… I am Lord Yoshikuni." He stood up from the chair, his left white glove hand held the china teacup and his right white glove hand reaching toward Yamato in a polite greeting with a polite smile. "One of Four Great Duke families and an __**old**__ acquaintance of the Sankou families." _

_Yamato stared blankly at him. Wha…?_

((Flashback Ended))

Watching the birds chirping and fluttering their wings among the trees, the Heylin warrior scowled darkly. "Four Great Dukes…." He had recalled the history of four great dukes from his mentor tutoring him in one of these days.

Something happened over two thousand years ago, when the mysterious death of the Sankou clan upon on the day of Coming-Of-Age Ceremony.

All members of the Sankou clan were bloody massacred. Not sight of a body, not sight of a bone… and not even drop of a blood.

All left in the empty mansion… was a broken, golden pocket watch on the floor being forgotten.

_What exactly is happening at the Sankou mansion…? _Yamato thought, frowning as he walked through the path. Unaware of what coming toward him in a fast pace speed, he felt a sharp pain ripped through his right shoulder caused him gasp painfully in shock and he crashed onto the ground as the shadow blurred past him and landed on the ground in few yards away from him.

"What the hell?" He exclaimed angrily, slamming his hands onto the ground in pain. He looked up with his eyes widened in surprise; he avoided the death blowing attack that was aim for his head as he leaped backward away from the strange-looking staff that belongs to the attacker.

"Who the hell are you, you bastard? Why the hell are you had to kill me with a staff of yours?" Yamato roared in fury, glaring at the attacker who remains silent in the attack stance with a staff in the air.

"You are the demon I must to destroy." His attacker relied before attacking toward the boy with a staff.

"_What?_"

—

In Spicer Mansion

"Do you have to flip my bed over when I'm sleeping?" The familiar pale-faced geek whined rubbing his aching head when the certain person who decided to flip his bed and send him straight into the opposite wall with his head.

The werewolf grinned ingenuously at the accident-prone genius who was glowered darkly back at him, "Well… You're really heavy sleeper, aren't you? You can sleep through anything! Even a bomb exploded right in front of you and you're not even noticed it!"

Still rubbing his head, Jack pouted after the lycan and he headed down the downstairs to the basement. "What do you want from me, you weirdo long eared freak?" He whined childishly.

With a hesitating look, the Heylin warrior reached in the backpack he was carrying earlier and pulling out the shattered strange-looking golden metal pieces that looking creepily similar to the Sands of Time and the Fountain of Hui on the table.

Something strangely about that object made the young genius shuddered. Something so wrong about it… As if it was waiting for something happened… like since that time where he was somehow end up at the Xiaolin Temple with those weird memories he suddenly had.

_Why does it felt like Déjà vu?_ Jack frowned at his thought.

"Can you fix it?" He said with a serious look at the dumbfounded inventor. "Can you fix it, Spicer?" Again, Lobo repeated with an irritated look.

Jack shook out of his thought and shot him back an irritated look, crossing his arms across his chest in an interesting-looking PJ shirt. Yes, he's still in those ridiculous PJ that his mother got him for his Christmas. "Anyway, where did you get those junk?"

Lobo paused. _How should I say…? _

_((Flashback))_

_BAM! The dark doors slammed open, the idiot white lycan stepped happily and next thing he knows, he had swords and arrows pointing sharply at his light tanned neck. _

"_What in the hell are you doing here, you flea-bitten mutt!" _

_Well, well, well, hello arrogant blood-sucking brat… Lobo thought dryly, still smiling idiotically at the half familiar pale-looking black haired boy who was standing in the front of his dark clan. _

"_I am here to speak to you..." Lobo addressed directly, narrowing his wolfish eyes at his natural arch-enemy in a manner he only do in the presence of blood-sucking night walkers. "...Prince Xavier, of the one of the most powerful clans of vampires in Europe." _

"_The son of the deceased King Dracula and Queen Lilith!" _

_Prince Xavier smiled grimly. "Well, aren't you from the clan of Lycan whom have beheaded my father, King Dracula? Tell me what the hell are you doing here, dirty dog?" _

"_I'm no longer one of them. Lycan is dead." Lobo ignored the whispering among the vampires in the darkness in confusion, disbelief, disapproving, and sneering. "And I have to do something for my companions' sake, so I'd hate to say, but I need your help." _

_The hordes of vampires suddenly start to hissing louder and louder, throwing countless insults after insults at the white lycanthrope. _

"_Help? No friggin' way!" _

"_Go home!" _

"_Cry to your mama!" _

"_You're just a flea-bitten dirty dog!" _

"_You're the enemy!" _

"_SILENCE!" The Dark Prince of the Night Creatures yelled, hissing angrily as the hordes scattered in several directions in panic. No one want to stay when a dark prince is in bad mood. The undead boy turned his head toward the white lycanthrope and patting his black clothes, getting the rid of dusts from him. _

"_My help? That's the first. No..." He looked up at Lobo and sighed. "That's the second time since my beloved servant leaves to help a lycanthrope like you to fight for the world." He placed his pale white palm to rest his chin, looking into the dog's eyes. "You know... You did reminded me of him. You're the descendant of General Yanji, aren't you?"_

_Startled, the Heylin of Shadow stared disbelief at the dark prince. "Wha...How did..." _

"_Because that's how alike you two looks, no matter how apart you two are in time." Prince Xavier replied with a dark chuckle. "Different name. Different life. Different body. But... Same Shadow as usual." _

_Lobo stood. _

"_I will help you... but first I want you do a favor for me." _

_((Flashback Ended))_

Lobo let out a despairing sigh. "Let's say, I know someone like that scary have something like these junks."

Jack stared at him, scratching his head in confusion and decided he don't care as long as those things are too important to ignore right now. With a heavy sigh, he picked up the heavy-looking thick papers from the desk and headed toward the junks on the table. "What is it you want me to create?"

"Uhh... Actually, I don't know." Lobo said with a grin, a anime-style sweat-drop appeared on the side of his head. _That damn stoic leader! He didn't tell me! Just order me to get those damn junks!_

Jack paused, turning his head slowly and stared at Lobo. "WHAT! YOU WOKE ME UP FOR THAT!"

Lobo laughed nervously, eyeing at the strange-looking machine orb and picked it up ignoring the genius boy's rants.

"Why should I created something I didn't know what to fix?" The genius shouted angrily, slamming the thick papers onto the table and glaring at the idiot lecher. "That's no way to restore to its ordinary shape again! Only one way to restore its ancient power is to find the legend of eternal!"

The white-haired lycan dropped the strange-looking machine orb he was looking curiously at on the floor ignoring the cry of the red-haired idiot over the shattered pieces; he whirled around and stared blankly at him. "…The legend of eternal…? What the hell do you mean by that, Spicer?"

Mourning over the pieces of his beloved dead mechanism device, the genius looked up at him with an offended frown. "Well, my uncle's a treasure hunter so I know about his adventures. He always told me his stories about the legend of eternal, a legendary fountain of life."

_Why does it sound familiar?_ Lobo frowned at the red-haired genius boy. "I see... Where is it, anyway?"

Jack looked at him weirdly. "In China, of course."

The mysterious being watched at the black dragon looked down at the small human, growling quietly and its talons dug deeper into the ground.

"Gojo..."

* * *

—_**The Past is Dead. The Future is Unknown. One thing I am stuck and it is in Present with no way to get out... Everyone is waiting for me to pick a road**_**—**

_**TO BE CONTINUE…**_

…

…

…

**End of the Chapter IV**

* * *

Me: What the? Who is this mysteriously boy who had been meeting our hothead little warrior? What's up with yellow flowers and the golden tattoo? Time for sneak peek about upcoming Next chapter: **"The Unforgiving Past" **

_The man in an ancient robe with a bow and full of arrows in the container attached to his back. He glanced down at the young boy from the rock he was crouching on like a graceful panther. _

"_You… possessed a dangerous power…"He rasped, his tone sounded weak but steel like a true hunter. "You must have a pure heart with a clear mind." _

"_You?" _

_Gojo exclaimed astonishingly at the last dragon of the clan he had thought he never seen since his imprisonment. "How…" _

_She said nothing, she turned sharply to him with her tear-filled eyes angrily. "You __**killed**__ them."_

"_Another Xiaolin brat?" Yuushi spat, holding the strange energy in each of his black gloved hands. "Your soul is a proof of your existence." _

_He aimed at Jermaine. _

Review this story, please.


	7. The Unforgiving Past

Disclaimer: I do not own Xiaolin Showdown and its characters… But I own my characters and wu(s).

((the spotlight turn on, revealing a trashed form of so called Heylin Tiger of Steel on the ground, unconscious.))

Lobo: (poking at the form in a messed state) Wow. You sure really trashed him so bad with ill-temper of yours-ah, sorry my bad. (laughs nervously when I shot him a dirty look)

Ciara: Serve him right for insulting Lady Lizgon. He never did learn when he open mouth to put his foot in.

Khu: (nods) I agreed. (turns and looked at me) Also, I did not approve with your temper. Controls them please.

Me: (pouts sourly, then sigh in defeat) Fine, Khu.

Kobo: (whispering to Lobo and Ciara) Khu is only one do not fear Lady Lizgon's legendary dragon-like ill-temper. Then again, Khu is also one Lady Lizgon obey without complaining.

Lobo & Ciara: (nods in agreement)

Yamato: ¬ ¬ What about me? I'm injured here!

Me: Go to your love and have her nurse you! (throw him to the den of Komsic) Sheesh! He'd better not come back for another year!

Ciara: Should I introduced our favorite readers with this chapter then?

Me: Be my guest. (still sulking)

Ciara: (looked at readers) Please enjoys reading this chapter! Do not forget to review or I will cursed you!

Me: Ciara! (face-palmed)

* * *

…

…

…

_I used to be a normal, ordinary little boy..._

_Until the day when Mom and Dad died in a car accident._

_I was half drowned in the cold water. _

_I used to be a normal, ordinary little boy..._

_Until I did nearly died second time when gang attacks._

_My blood dripping, panting grass red. _

_I used to be a normal, ordinary little boy..._

_Until I meet that Man with cold yellow eyes and long black hair. _

_I Changed._

* * *

((_Previous Chapter))_

"What the hell?" He exclaimed angrily, slamming his hands onto the ground in pain. He looked up with his eyes widened in surprise; he avoided the death blowing attack that was aim for his head as he leaped backward away from the strange-looking staff that belongs to the attacker.

"Who the hell are you, you bastard? Why the hell are you had to kill me with a staff of yours?" Yamato roared in fury, glaring at the attacker who remains silent in the attack stance with a staff in the air.

"You are the demon I must to destroy." His attacker relied before attacking toward the boy with a staff.

"_What?_"

—

_Why does it sound familiar? _Lobo frowned at the red haired genius boy. "I see. Where is it, anyway?"

Jack looked at him weirdly. "In China, of course."

—

The mysterious being watched at the black dragon looked down at the small human, growling quietly and its talons dug deeper into the ground.

"Gojo..."

((Current_ Chapter))_

* * *

**The Cursed Heart of Steel**

**Arc 3**

— _The Unforgiving Past_ —

**Chapter V**

* * *

"_What?" _Yamato exclaimed in surprise as he dodged the spear from a quick strike from the strange-looking staff and ducked as the strange-looking ball of energy flew over his head and exploded when it hits the tree. "There is no way I am a demon!"

_Well, sort of... No thanks to that man who gave me his blood... _He groaned furiously, mentally glaring at the back of the long black haired man in greenish/golden armors in his mind. _It's all his faaaaaaaaaaaault!_

—

In the temple, the certain man sits on the mat stopped sipping the familiar soup when he felt a familiar annoying twitch on his left eyebrow, then again he is too stoic to react to it. He glared suspiciously at the cats who looked pointedly away from him sensing his black aura suddenly become blacker.

_Hn. That brat. _

—

"Who the hell are you?" Yamato asked, already tiring of keep asking as he dodged the several strikes of the spear-like staff. "Are you a priest or exorcist?"

"Neither." The attacker stated sharply, turn the staff into curve path to aim to slash the half demon from the right hip to the left shoulder. But fortunately, the half-demon dodged. "Not bad. My name is Yuushi. Former student from the Village of South which it was destroyed by that dirty claws of yours!"

_Village of South? It's a bit closer to the Temple of South... _The Heylin Tiger of Steel frowned in confusedly, dodging the strikes every time it aim for his head getting deadlier and deadlier. "That's it, I can take it no more! METAL!"

Suddenly, the staff transformed into a metal-like snake and it turned on the wielder, its fangs bared as it flew at him. "WHAT THE!" Yuushi exclaimed in surprise, knocking the metaled snake down to the ground.

"Metal...? That means... That looks like I have no choice." His orange eyes narrowed seriously, Yuushi lift his hands with opened palms gathering all strange-looking energies from the feeling of odd atmospheric electricity and gravity in the air. "I thought I don't need it to defeat you, demon."

Shocked, Yamato stepped back slightly at the sight of the odd-colored balls of energies. It somehow did remind the warrior of his rival and rival's cousin with similar manner of gathering energies, yet it was slight different feeling. "Wha..."

"PSYCHE!"

The almost invisible twin bluish red energy balls speedily dashing toward the Heylin as he fell to the ground, covering his head as they past him and shattered the tree to pieces of firewood barks. "Hey, that's dangerous!" Yamato exclaimed paling, staring disbelief at the remaining of the destroyed wood. "What kind of that attack?"

"That's my power..." Yuushi answered, standing on the ground as his hunter clothes swaying at the wind's blowing. "It's only a training level of my true element and I have yet to reveal all of them."

_Even if it's only a training level... That means I have to get serious. _Yamato growled, digging his clawed fingers into the dirty ground glaring at the silent orange-eyed hunter. He reached for his back jean pockets and he froze.

_Damn, that's right I don't have my Shen-Gong-Wu(s) and weapons! THAT DAMN MUTT! HE FORGOT TO PACK 'EM!_

"IRON FISTS!" Yamato yelled, his fists become hardened and steeled as he leaped toward Yuushi, lifting one of his fists in the air readily for to hit with force.

—

The wolf-eared boy sneezed and sneezed and sneezed uncontrollably, shivering as the sudden chill running down his spine. "I got a feeling that I'll be a dead meat. Oh yeah, I throw all his weapons away in case if he really need to be relax in his vacation, not fighting to train."

Jack shot him a odd glance, lifting the goggle up from his eyes in confusion.

—

_One thousand five hundred years ago..._

_The young teenaged boy dropped on the short grass ground, groaning at the heavy wounds all over his body and looked up at the flaming village and the sound of his people screaming in pain. His element can do nothing to stop the demented beast raiding through his home. _

_Where are his companions?_

_Why don't they come for his call to help? _

_My home... My people... My honor..._

_He closed his orange eyes tiredly, that's right... he was used to be a member of the warriors and he had a great element. He left that group when the black giant snake's attack. _

_He suffered his mental illness and not even the Priestess of Immortal can do for him. Priestess Liz Gon... _

—

"STEEL CLAWS!"

Yamato roared as his hands transformed into the silver steel claws that looks like a serpent's claws, he flew at the hunter with great speed.

"Ugh, why don't you stay down!" Yuushi shouted, his right palm lifted at the front of the attacking beast. "GRAVITY FORCE!"

Suddenly, Yamato face-planked onto the ground with a loud thump. "UGK!" He gritted his fangs painfully, digging his claws into the ground as he struggled to get up against the heavy air. _This time it's Apprentice level?_

"No matter how times you get up, you'll never defeat me." Yuushi said softly, his right palm still stayed in the air facing at the fallen half-beast and the glowing energies slowly gathering in Yuushi's left palm. "GO TO HELL, DEMON! VIGOR LANCER!"

Yamato quickly shut his eyes, gritting his fangs furiously as he readied for a deadly stab.

—

_The old man that saved the boy's life. The old man advised him not to misused his element which caused his mental to suffer ten times worse than his illness... _

"_Boy... the more your element you wielded, the stronger your illness you suffer. Your psyche shortened your life. Be careful how control your power." _

_The boy refused believing him, looking for an answer to live forever so he could avenge his people by getting an revenge on that certain demon. _

—

In the Great Castle.

The dark prince of the vampire clan, Prince Xavier, stood looking stoically through his grand windows to watch the gloomy and rainy weather. "I can't see why you have to brought that stinking mutt to my castle? Do you know we are enemies, Lycanthropes and Vampires? Werewolves and Nightwalkers?" He exclaimed bitterly, narrowing his golden eyes glowingly at the reflection in the grand window of his guest sitting on the black couch. "Do you!"

"Well, that idiot 'stinking mutt' as you lovingly dubbed him, he asked me for a flavor. He wanted to ask you for one item our leader required from you and once he did..." The familiar voice belong to the black clothes and a familiar-looking hat rests on the woman's head as she trailed off, looking down at the floor distractedly, recalling what the white-haired werewolf told her in the phone call.

The vampire quirked an eyebrow up in a question at the look on the witch's face.

"One item... Humph!" Prince Xavier turned around and glaring at the witch. "Ciara the Witch, that mutt asked me of that dangerous item, which was under my care since one thousand five hundred years, that he wanted to repair for the sake of a friend. So... Why?"

Ciara smiled, not a happy smile nor a sad smile but more of a defeated smile. "That idiot... He must be really want to save that hot-head... Doing this must be really double-edged of a sword, either killing himself or killing that hot-headed friend."

Prince Xavier must wonder whether if that witch referred the "idiot" to the loud-mouth lecherous mutt...

...or the silent swordsman with piercing purple eyes...

"...Very well..." He sighed silently, turning his back at the witch and looked down at his grand garden through his blurred windows. "_Darastrix Litrix _is one of the dangerous Shen-Gong-Wu... Honesty, what is that Dashi thinking?"

—

_The man in an ancient robe with a bow and full of arrows in the container attached to his back. He glanced down at the young boy from the rock he was crouching on like a graceful panther. _

"_You… possessed a dangerous power…"He rasped, his tone sounded weak but steel like a true hunter. "You must have a pure heart with a clear mind."_

_The boy must be wonder whether if he must have a pure heart with a clear mind to control his power..._

_But with his illness stopped him from doing what his savior asked of him... He was heavy wounded and stuck in the mat bed. _

_A pure heart with a clear mind... _

_Bah... _

_When he'd killed that demon, he'll give in his illness with a smile. That's good when he left the Temple, they are no useful to him curing his illness when there is no cure for it. _

_He's going to die, either way. He'll rather dragging the demon along with him when his time is up._

_Bah. _

—

In the Forest near the Pedrosa Family of the Circus. The black dragon crawling thoughtfully, toward the ancient temple where he was once imprisoned into a statue until Khu's elder brother Marcus. _No thanks to that stupid son of Shinyu and Kisara Pedrosa, Alvaro._ He let out a sigh, remembering the young son with odd colored eyes and his hands dancing with lightning.

"Gojo..."

The crimson scarred black dragon twitched at the odd familiar voice echoed behind his back. He could felt the familiar sting of his old scars throbbed on his back. _Can't be..._

_But it is. _He stared in a shock at the red female dragon stood before him. A beautiful crimson dragon with golden bands on her wrists and her waist... And also her piercing eyes which it squeezed his heart tightly by a mere glare.

_Xiu... But how...? _He turned his body around like a startled snake he was, facing to the female one he happened to be cursed to love and also cursed to kill with one blow. _She was suppose to be gone when I went berserk on that day... When it comes to the Shen-Gong-Wu..._

Almost as if Xiu knew what Gojo was thinking, the dragon turned her beautiful soft dragonic face away from the black dragon's blank stare.

"You?"

Gojo exclaimed astonishingly at the last dragon of the clan he had thought he never seen since his imprisonment. "How…"

She said nothing, she turned sharply to him with her tear-filled eyes angrily. "You **killed** them."

"What..." Gojo was taken back at her vicious words lashing out at him, he hesitatingly backed off from her with his fore legs as the three scars on his back hurting more than he thought with a grimace. "You... still carry with that grudge against me...?"

_Yes... During my berserk period, I killed her clan with my black fire... I wasn't called a Dark Dragon for nothing. Compare with my brother's berserk with mine is that I am more stronger and more sadistic than he with a two-headed evil dragon... _

"I'm sorry..." Gojo looked down at the ground in shame, unable to hold his eyes against her eyes. "I'm sorry about Vex, Fo, and Rygor... I know you love them so dear, they are your brother and sisters after all... I never forgot that scars you give me..." He looked down at his scarred back.

Sniffling, Xiu gritted her fangs furiously as her claws digging deeply into the ground. "You left my brother in the poor state and you ripped Fo's wings off her back so she could not fly any more! You completely stripped of Vex's power, she could not transformed fully and she was useless as monks said!" She roared with a blast of dark red fire at Gojo, unlike Dojo's red-orange fire.

Gojo cursed. _What have I done to you, Xiu? _

—

_Am I dead? _

His eyes slowly opening, Yamato realized that he wasn't stabbed to death. _Am I alive? _He questioned himself, struggling to sit up only to realize there is someone stood in the way, holding the lancer.

_Wait, holding the lancer which it is made of a pure energy?_

Yamato stared blankly at the brown-colored skinned young male teenager in a familiar red and black robe. A trademark robe of the Xiaolin Dragon... But, he could feel that teen wasn't a dragon to begin with...

And yet, he sense there is a strange power that hidden so deep inside the boy's soul.

"Who the hell are you?" Yamato snapped, deciding not so worry about the mysterious power surround the boy and more worry that boy decide to be in his way of fighting the crazy hunter.

The black boy looked over his shoulder, sweats on his face with a grimace grin. "I'm Jermaine. I heard you in trouble from Rai dude." He answered proudly, as Yamato discovered that Jermaine guy holding the _Tortoise's Shield_ to block the lancer.

Ah, that makes sense. _Tortoise's Shield_, a strongest defense against the energy-made attacks.

_Wait, who's Rai dude? _Yamato thought confusedly, unwillingly to recall the face of the green-eyed cocky dragon with a smug grin.

Yuushi frowned, disabling his lancer and leaped back in few yards away from the unofficially Xiaolin warrior and the officially Heylin demon as he slowly summoning more powers into his palms.

Yamato could feel it's not just a power of Apprentice this time, but it's a power of Wu Dai now. _Shit!_

"Another Xiaolin brat?" Yuushi spat, holding the strange energy in each of his black gloved hands. "Your soul is a proof of your existence."

He aimed at Jermaine.

— _**I do not want to remember. I want to forget. The door is closed and the key is in the chest. I do not want to remember.**_—

_**TO BE CONTINUE…**_

…

…

…

**End of the Chapter V**

* * *

Me: Oh no! What will our favorite anti-heroes do this time? Time for sneak peek about upcoming Next chapter: **"The Shattered Mind" **

"_Who are you?" Yamato roared, whirling around looking for the voice in the darkness. "Where are you?" _

"_Over here." _

_He turned sharply, raising his fists readily for to unleashed his element attack, but he stopped gaping in disbelief at the giant mirror. _

_It was him. _

Review this story, please.


	8. The Shattered Mind

Disclaimer: I do not own Xiaolin Showdown and its characters… But I own my characters and wu(s).

Me: At last, I have a lot good time to writing after have a small case of writer's block a while ago with a chapter and suffering few quizzes/tests in college since I can't think anything to add few dramatic effects to the last chapter.

Lobo: It seem like that you finally broke through the writer's block and gotten over the death of that poor angel cat.

Me: (sigh) Yeah. Even if I'm still sad over my beloved cat. But! (with a determined look) I still won't allow my stories going cold and dead!

Ciara: Which it means Yamato will suffer with her stories no matter what, huh?

Me: In this story, Yamato always will be a main character and he's very special for a reason. There is a reason why Chase Young decided to save his life when he's dying.

Kobo: I thought Master Young took him as his apprentice and an adopted son?

Me: There's more to meet the eye about him than just that. (mysterious smile)

Khu: Tch. (sipping the steamed tea cup) I still don't see why he's that important part for the sake of the story.

Me: (sigh) Seriously, you and Yamato always see each other as eternal rivals. Even worse than Raimundo and Omi! I swear they fought like a married couple!

Raimundo & Omi: (being insulted) Hey! ¬ ¬

Prince Xavier: (popped out of nowhere with a soundless proof, staring coolly at the readers) Enjoy reading this chapter and please don't forget to review. Thank You. (then a gentleman smile) If you have time, please come visit to my castle. (flashed his sparkling fangs)

Lobo: (jumped in a startle) Holy Shi-! (point finger accusingly at the vampire prince) You did on the purpose, blood-sucker!

Prince Xavier: (narrowed eyes eyeing at the elder werewolf pup) Why is the fleas-bitten dirty-looking mutt here, Miss Lizgon? (looked at me)

Lobo: (realized the vampire ignored and insulted him completely) Grr! Hey, listen here Vampy!

Me: (face-palmed) Why me...? Why did I have to be surrounded by those crazy muses?

* * *

…

…

…

_I dream that I was happy_

_Living with full of good memories and joy_

_Unaware of that my mind is breaking apart. _

_Like the sand falling to the bottom in the hourglass_

_My mind is like a dark twist version of labyrinth_

_Unable to think straight and clear_

_I dream that I was dying_

_Witness the destruction of my village_

_Hearing the demented laughing of a demon_

_My mind is fading away, like a ghost_

_My memories are crumbling down like building in the ruin_

_Who I am? What is my purpose? _

_My name is Yuushi, I am an demon hunter. _

_I am an ex-Xiaolin warrior. _

_A Dragon of Psyche. _

((_Previous Chapter))_

Ciara smiled, not a happy smile nor a sad smile but more of a defeated smile. "That idiot... He must be really want to save that hot-head... Doing this must be really double-edged of a sword, either killing himself or killing that hot-headed friend."

Prince Xavier must wonder whether if that witch referred the "idiot" to the loud-mouth lecherous mutt...

...or the silent swordsman with piercing purple eyes...

"...Very well..." He sighed silently, turning his back at the witch and looked down at his grand garden through his blurred windows. "_Darastrix Litrix _is one of the dangerous Shen-Gong-Wu... Honesty, what is that Dashi thinking?"

—

Yamato could feel it's not just a power of Apprentice this time, but it's a power of Wu Dai now. _Shit!_

"Another Xiaolin brat?" Yuushi spat, holding the strange energy in each of his black gloved hands. "Your soul is a proof of your existence."

He aimed at Jermaine.

—

"I'm sorry..." Gojo looked down at the ground in shame, unable to hold his eyes against her eyes. "I'm sorry about Vex, Fo, and Rygor... I know you love them so dear, they are your brother and sisters after all... I never forgot that scars you give me..." He looked down at his scarred back.

Sniffling, Xiu gritted her fangs furiously as her claws digging deeply into the ground. "You left my brother in the poor state and you ripped Fo's wings off her back so she could not fly any more! You completely stripped of Vex's power, she could not transformed fully and she was useless as monks said!" She roared with a blast of dark red fire at Gojo, unlike Dojo's red-orange fire.

Gojo cursed. _What have I done to you, Xiu? _

((Current_ Chapter))_

* * *

**The Cursed Heart of Steel**

**Arc 3**

— _The Shattered Mind_ —

**Chapter VI**

* * *

"Be gone! _Wudai Core, Psyche_!" Yuushi exclaimed icily, slamming his bluish-red energy balls together and blasted viciously at the black teen. Jermaine stood the ground, gritting his teeth knowing he had no power to block, despite he had _Tortoise's Shield_ to protect himself. But he couldn't hold the greatest attack at bay, until he would be crushed into pieces of dust.

He shut his eyes tightly. _Sorry, Omi..._

"Don't Think SO! _Wudai Meteor, Metal!_" The Heylin of Steel hissed furiously, opening his arms summoning all of his power to call forth the steel liquid pikes from somewhere came to life and lashing like breathing alive snakes. Merging into a ball of metal-like meteor, raining at the bluish-red energy ball. Just the same attack he was trying to summon to defeat his rival, Khu Pedrosa, the Tiger of Darkness during the _Arc of Darkness_.

When it connected to the energy ball, it exploded a giant cloud of dust nearly blinding the three warriors.

Yuushi narrowed his orange eyes at the sight of the metal-like snakes and hearing the announcement of the Dark Wudai attack. "So, that's _Dark Wudai_, huh? Somewhat similar to that bastard's attack..."

As he recalled the familiar-looking man in the black and red _Heylin _robe with twin red marks on each of his cheeks, long purple ponytail, and bright crimson eyes appeared in his mind. _Kousei... _

"Well, then we shall see who is the stronger with the power of Wudai." Yuushi said coolly, activating his energies onto each of his palms glaring at the spiky purple-haired hybrid teenager. "_WUDAI CORE, PSYCHE!_"

"_WUDAI METEOR, METAL!_"

Another exploded from two strongest Wudai attacks connected to each other.

—

"_Hello! Welcome to...[weak vocalization]...temple! …..[weak vocalization]...warriors..." _

_Clutching his old bag in his dirty-looking hands, the small boy looked up with a stunned look at the stranger stood on the top of the temple before him._

"_Uh... Is this...[weak vocalization]... where I am told to head at?"_

"_Yes... [weak vocalization]... You must be... [weak vocalization]"_

_**That day...**_

—

Yamato was thrown backward few yards away onto the ground with a pained grunt along with an American African teen followed. _What a powerful element...That bastard..._ He thought weakly, his left eye shut tightly and his right eye half opened, glowing crimson red as if he was an avenging demon.

"_Damnit_! I don't know that hunter is the _same_ as you guys!" Jermaine exclaimed in surprise, gritting his teeth as he tightly hold the legendary shield. "Damn, _he_ didn't even warn me about that guy!"

The half demon shot him a stunned look. _Same...? _And then he take a good look at the hunter's appearance and stances. _He's right... He is... It could be... _

As he recalled that day of the Darkness arc, he had meet the immortal mistress whom was sleeping in the weird tube-like thing in the strange room and he accidentally woke her up by breaking its glass.

Four high-ranking warriors among all Xiaolins and Heylins... The _Immortal Mistress_, Liz Gon... _Master Monk_, Guan... The _Prince of Darkness_, Chase Young... and the_ Witch of Heylin_, Wu Ya.

Plus, that _so called_ devil bean didn't counted as one of the Heylin, either. Yamato snorted at the thought.

"Hey you!" He called out to the silent hunter as his eyes narrowed determinately. "Who the hell are you?" He repeated again, struggling to get up back on his feet.

Yuushi raise an eyebrow questioningly at the harsh demand of his identification. "I already told you my name is Yuushi, _demon_."

Yamato curled his teeth angrily. "Not _that_ what I meant... What I was meant..." He pointed accusingly at Yuushi, nearly seem over-dramatic noise surrounded him. "_What relationship are you to the Heylin or the Xiaolin?_"

Yuushi was silent.

—

"_What is your name, young one?" _

_The boy stopped at his tracks, turned around slowly and looked at the old man in the old torn-looking robes smiling gently down at the young teen._

"_I... am Yuushi." _

_The old man smiled._

"_Hn. I'm your...[weak vocalization]... so be on your guard, kid." _

_**...When I become a member of this temple...**_

—

"I see..."

The hunter stood, looking away as his hair hid his strange expression on his face and he clutched his ball of energy in his fist. "That is what you desire to know who I am truly to the _cursed_ warriors of Tiger and Dragons..."

Yamato twitched almost pissed off at that monotone comment. "_Why you_..." Jermaine gripped the boiling raged half-demon's shoulders to calm down, as the African teen sweatdropped.

"As I shall re-introduced myself once again..." Yuushi looked up his bright orange eyes almost similar to the color of the sunset. "I am Yuushi, the _former_ Dragon of Psyche and the_ first apprentice_ of Xiaolin Dragon _Grand Master_ Monk _Dashi_. I am the first student among Shinyu, Kisara, Xuan, Yanji, and..."

He looked directly at Yamato, smug at the pale expression on the young boy's face.

"..._Kousei_."

—

"_Who the hell are you, brat?" _

_The almost an adult-like teenager twitched at the nickname he strongly disliked, raising an eyebrow in annoyance at another older tallest teenager scowling down at him. Curses at his short height!_

_That's one thing he would never forgot that crude eyes. _

"_The name's...[weak vocalization]... And I'm not a Brat, stupid." _

_**...I met them...**_

—

Since Yuushi only knows the _five _teammates of his before he left the temple... He wouldn't even forgot who they are to him... He wouldn't know how they _died_ in the final war... He wouldn't know Kisara was _disappeared_ mysteriously. He wouldn't _know_ Xuan died when he was freed from possessed by the Dark Lord...

_I... I don't understand!_

And even, he wouldn't know _how_ Shinyu died and how that certain _bastard_ died either...

So there is _no way_ he could acknowledged the power of his grumpy teammate belong to the boy, let alone a demon himself! What is that _bastard_ thinking to choose a _demon_ as his _reincarnation_?

_Why him?_

He won't allow that demon possessed the sacred power of Steel that was belong to that teammate of his!

He shall _test_ on the demon... to see if he is _worthy_ of the bastard's power...

—

"_So my power's Psyche. What's your power, eh?" _

_The grinned teen beamed toward the quiet teen in the corner, ignoring all other parties in the gathering room. The quiet teen shot him a startle look for a second before his face fell, looking down at the floor in a gloomy way. _

_The grinned teen now frowned at his silent attitude._

"_It's...[weak vocalization]... and I shouldn't have been... [weak vocalization]"_

…_**.I should have regret knowing them...**_

—

Yamato gapped disbelief at Yuushi in clearly surprise and half stunned at his cold declaration. _First apprentice of the Grand Master Dashi? Impossible... Not the way I'd heard about the history of the Heylin Tigers and the Xiaolin Dragons... Did Khu was wrong about what he saw in the past before he return to fight against that bastard Dark Lord...?_

"Tch! So what if you are a Xiaolin Dragon of Psy-whatever! I am a Heylin Tiger of the Metal. We are meant to fight each other, as a Heylin against a Xiaolin!" The hot-headed half demon spat, shift into his fighting stance.

"So that is it? That is fine either that way, Demon. There is no way you'd defeat me. Not even **he** beats me in the duel..." Yuushi hummed amusingly, he too shift into his fighting stance. "Now come to me, little demon!"

Yamato growled furiously at that taunt.

"_Wudai Meteor, Metal! Steel Spears!_"

"_Wudai Core, Psyche! Mind Crush!_"

A loud crash of the two powerful forces flew onto each other and exploded with smoke as the warriors leaped at each other after the first attack, one with the dark electric bluish blade and one with iron claws.

Yamato's red eyes widened in surprise, seeing his iron claws missed the hunter's head by inch. _That battle I'm fighting is familiar... _

As he yelped silently, dodging the dark electric bluish blade an inch away from his head, few hairs flew away in the air. That was so close to have his head rolling.

An image of his silent leader popped in his head. _Khu... _

_This guy... _Yamato thought as he dodged the dark electric bluish energy blade by an inch, few hairs from his hairs fell away in the air. Is like as if I'm fighting Khu here...His stance and attacks are almost similar to Khu's stance and attacks but yet, more dangerous and insane. _At least I can read his stupid face, but I can't read this hunter's face..._

He curled his bitter smile. _Unlike I can't sense what that bastard's thinking... I can sense what this hunter's thinking... Utter chaos and murderous insanity!_

His clawed human hands become a steel claws while the hunter gathered the energies of his elemental power.

It's like he had no _choice_ but to rely on his element of steel to make _that bastard shut the hell up!_

"_Wudai Meteor, Metal! Steel Spears!_"

"_Wudai Core, Psyche! Mind Crush!_"

—

"_..[weak vocalization]...Beansprout...[weak vocalization]..."_

_Same voice called to the sulking teen as the teen glared viciously, holding his head in pain. Why he have to be updated from Brat to Beansprout? Another insult to his pride about his height again!_

"_What the hell? I'm not that short... You should be..[weak vocalization].. you moronic bastard!"_

_The bastard grinning, bared his almost fangs down at him with that oversized sword on his right shoulder. Hope he got killed by something stupid! Drown in something stink swamp or buried alive in mud-sliding land. _

_**But...** _

—

In a _slow_ movement, it's like to watch a slow movie.

The steel spears snaked out of the ground beside the Heylin warrior's feet and roaring toward the ex-Xiaolin demon hunter in the mid air.

The demon hunter shoot a ball of energy at the tips of the spears as he disappeared into the smoke clouds.

_Boom_

The African American mouthed something to Yamato, gestures at him slowly and odd. His pale face seem to be panicking...

For what...?

His crimson eyes slowly widened in both of a muted surprise and horror, sensing the demon hunter had no longer in the air and yet _he_ was suddenly appearing under his nose... His eyes looked down slowly seeing the close up glowing ruby-colored dancing electric around a dark blue energy ball away from his face.

_Damnit..._

To realize it was the _almost_ invisible demon hunter kneeling on the ground with his left palm in front of the half-beast warrior, grinning sinisterly as the glowing ball he held with his right palm in the air glowered his scary smug face with that cruel, crazy look in his empty eyes...

That _look_ will one day haunting his memories.

It's bad enough he left _an opening_ to that enemy of his, but it's even _worse_ when he recognize his enemy had become an _familiar_ body of aura. A _Wudai _aura... Bluish-red aura of body with the outline of black. Even a corrupted one!

_How...? _Yamato thought, gritting his teeth feeling a fear and anger boiling inside him as his eyes grew more wide in shock. _He's fast!_

Slow movement changed to mid-fast movement. Before he could reacted to change his aim, the hunter made a first move to attack.

"_DARK MIND CRUSH, PSYCHE!" _

A sharp cry of pain escaped from his frozen mouth as the ball slammed onto his face, exploded with black-blue smoke covering his head. He could hear the panicking shouting from the dark skinned boy and he could also hear the crazed laughing from the hunter that had blew his face up.

That _hurt_...

In that moment when the time was sudden frozen, as the Heylin of Metal fell backward slowly with his arms stretching forward in the attack stance for his Wudai. His sharp sights become so haze and his great sense of hearing become so muffled. All he could think...

Then _pain_...

He could swear that he could feel his mind crumbling like the ancient scroll he held in his hands suddenly dissolved into the speck of dusts and dancing into the wind. He couldn't feel the impact he made when he collapsed onto the ground.

And now _darkness_...

_Damn...It..._

—

"_...he died...? I see, so it's... [weak vocalization]... At least you...[weak vocalization]" _

_The boy stopped at the track, looking back at the older warrior walked past him. He tugged his lip downward, in confusedly, started to walking toward the teen again. _

"_... I might have no longer... [weak vocalization]... You're not too well, Yuu-" _

_The next thing the teen knew, that kid collapsed. _

"_...[weak vocalization]...!"_

_**...I wonder which one of us soon came to the point of where one of us didn't know whether one of our smiling face was a lie or not...**_

—

_Drip... Drip... Drip..._

Yamato twitched almost sleepily, unwillingly listening to the dripping of water somewhere. The feeling of coldness against his back. The annoying light seem to irritating his closed eyes.

Damnit, at least just let him _sleep_ in _peace_. However, he suddenly recalled the pestering mutt's face. Thank _God_ that mutt wasn't there to _annoy_ him to _death_!

"_...broken..." _

Yamato opened his eyes almost dazedly, blinking lazily at the unusual scene that appeared before him and he was standing on the top of the black sea out of nowhere. There is no sight of any creatures nor people either... Well, there is few ruin building scattered all across the sea...

"_...everything is in chaos..."_

Just him, the black sea, broken scattered building in ruin, and the weird symbols on the sky. And who the hell is talking strangely out of nowhere? As he realized he was wearing the familiar red t-shirt with black hood and black jean again.

"_...and now you are become a broken puppet..."_

Yep, he's dreaming, indeed... His eyebrow twitched in annoyance as he was taking in the scene he thought he was dreamt of. At least he hadn't dreamt his nightmare...

"_...It's not a dream, neither is nightmare..." _

It startled Yamato out of his dazed state.

"_...It's fact this place is something different than you think... You would have to ask the wind boy..." _

"Who are you?" Yamato roared, whirling around looking for the voice in the darkness. "Where are you?"

"_Over here." _

He turned sharply, raising his fists readily for to unleashed his element attack, but he stopped gaping in disbelief at the giant mirror.

It was _**him**__._

_A smiling black shadow in the black t-shirt with white hood and white jean of himself. _

Yamato stepped backward in muted surprise, gaping in disbelief at the weird shadow in the giant mirror. "Wha...?"

"_Tch. You haven't been changed. What a bad host I have been living in for more than ten years..." As the shadow stepped out of the mirror, he was dark skinned with sinisterly golden cat-like eyes and long dark spiked purple hair in the ponytail. _

Yamato still gaped blankly at the shadow.

"_... I am called the Beast. Nice to meet you..." With this, he stretched his hand for to shake in greeting with a sickeningly innocent grin to the shocked pale-faced Heylin of Metal. "...Yamato Zendi._

* * *

_**One of us is a lie, whose smile don't reach. One of us is a truth, whose speak mind.**_

_**One of us is a unknown, whose life drained. **_—

_**TO BE CONTINUE…**_

…

…

…

**End of the Chapter VI**

* * *

Me: Oh no! What will our favorite anti-heroes do this time? Time for sneak peek about upcoming Next chapter: **"The Feverish Mind" **

"_The boy will be in danger if he continued like this..." The Lady muttered worriedly, patting the wet cloth on the sweating and feverish boy who was suffered with a mindful of nightmares. "What a nasty tainted attack!"_

_The African teen watched at the scene, bitting the lower lip as his brown eyes darted suspiciously at the quiet man stood in the corner watching the bedridden boy in silence. _

"_Okay. That's it! Who the hell are you, Tattoo dude!" _

Review this story, please.


	9. The Feverish Mind

Disclaimer: I do not own Xiaolin Showdown and its characters… But I own my characters and wu(s).

Me: Finally, I'm so glad I passed my classes this semester and now the next semester is my last one on my college. After that, well... I'll have to think about the future after my college now? To another college to advance my dreams more... or take a job who didn't mind me being a deaf?

Yamato: (recovered from his long time to bedridden in his love's house since Lizgon 'punished' him) You're a uselessly deaf girl after all, you can't speak nor hear anything!

Me: ¬ ¬ …. _Thoughts: at least Yamato didn't changed that much, despite how many months he spent time with his teammates and matured a bit... Then again, he didn't challenged Khu to the duel of a Heylin showdown since the Darkness arc..._

Lobo: Oh yeah, that's your turn to announce the new chapter, Yama-chan! (suddenly he was choked almost to death) That's hurt...!

Yamato: Die! (strangling the mutt)

Me: (a displeased sigh) Let him go, if you do as I say, you'll be free to skin him whatever you want.

Yamato: (look blankly at me in surprise, then grinned evilly) Sure, my La-ady! (to the readers) Here the new chapter of my Arc: The Cursed Heart of Steel! Please read and review or I'll skewered you with my Steel Spear!

Me: (face-palmed at her muse's action) _Yep, he didn't changed... then again, it's a wonder Santa didn't even give him a coal for his attitude..._

* * *

…

…

…

_When I first come to that place_

_where I could call it home..._

_There is a fool, _

_whose pursuits anything_

_with two legs..._

_There is a manic, _

_whose curse a lot_

_with dark spells..._

_There is a brat, _

_whose smiles like_

_a lonely moon..._

_and there is a gentleman, _

_whose sharp eyes_

_that kills._

_...And there is me, a loner, _

_whose dreams shattered_

_like a glass._

_When I first came to that place_

_where I want..._

_a family..._

((_Previous Chapter))_

"_Tch. You haven't been changed. What a bad host I have been living in for more than ten years..." As the shadow stepped out of the mirror, he was dark skinned with sinisterly golden cat-like eyes and long dark spiked purple hair in the ponytail. _

Yamato still gaped blankly at the shadow.

"_... I am called the Beast. Nice to meet you..." With this, he stretched his hand for to shake in greeting with a sickeningly innocent grin to the shocked pale-faced Heylin of Metal. "...Yamato Zendi._

((Current_ Chapter))_

* * *

**The Cursed Heart of Steel**

**Arc 3**

— _The Feverish Mind_ —

**Chapter VII**

* * *

"_DARK MIND CRUSH, PSYCHE!" _

A sharp cry of pain escaped from his frozen mouth as the ball slammed onto his face, exploded with black-blue smoke covering his head. He could hear the panicking shouting from the dark skinned boy and he could also hear the crazed laughing from the hunter that had blew his face up.

As Jermaine watched in horror at the unconscious body collapsed on the ground with head bleeding, tainting the green grass with its crimson liquid. Gripping the Wu shield tightly, the African stared worriedly at the unmoving boy on the ground. _It's... no way I'll able to fight that creepy dude! I'm not even a warrior yet! Even although, I'm a apprentice of Master Chase Young... I'm in no way to reach his level. _

"_**TCH!**_ What a _weakling_ demon!" Yuushi exclaimed in a dangerously disgusting tone, glaring down sinisterly at the unmoved half-beast on the ground, the green grass slowly turning into sickeningly beautiful crimson. "I'll take your head and serve it to my village on the silver plate!" With that, he summoned the same blade out of the energy from nowhere and aimed at Yamato's head while his orange eyes widened in dark insane delight for a pure death.

"_NO!_" The dark-skinned black haired teen bellowed in protest, his brown eyes widening in horror as he lashed his right hand stretching for the Heylin boy, but he was too far from the hunter and the half-beast.

When the tip of the energy blade barely touched Yamato's throat...

_Clack! _

As the hunter's once unfocused orange eyes return to its now original state, clear and focus that was no longer aim at the boy and instead he instantly stare without expression at the another blade that was suddenly locked with his energy blade, sparking as they clashed each other. "..."

He slowly raise his gaze from the ancient-looking blade to the hand with the odd familiar-looking golden tattoo wrapping around like a snake and then to the face of the sword owner as his orange eyes suddenly narrowed in disbelief. "..._You_."

Staring at the sudden appearance of the mysterious man stood protecting the unconscious boy on the ground and holding his ground against the hunter, Jermaine can't help but dropping his jaw on the ground in shock and his hand immediately limped in the air.

"..._the servant._"

As quickly as the mysterious man reaction, twisting his blade to cut through the energy of the blade. Without the blade, Yuushi dodged the blade by jumping backward to land on the ground with his hands as he performed the stunt similar to Khu and Raimundo's jumping performance as Jermaine had seen during _the time_ in the circus when he was with his homey, Omi and his friends.

With a soft thump, the hunter landed on the branch of the giant ancient-looking oak tree staring icily down at the man on the ground ignoring the boys behind him. "Humph. I didn't expect you to be alive, _slave_." He remarked smirking when the man shot a frightening glare at him. If only _look_ could _kill_, Yuushi would be already dead before he hit the earthly ground.

"And I didn't expect you to be insane, _avenger._" The black haired man countered almost mockingly, eyes narrowing cooly as he lowered his blade but still on guard just in case if the hunter decided to end Yamato's life.

Yuushi scowled darkly, his right fist trembling in anger. _You...!_

_Whooosh!_

"I have returned." The female reptile-like voice as the red snake-like dragon hovered above the oak tree, peering down at her beloved master. "I completed my mission. He is _incapacitated_ now."

Yuushi glanced upward at her, his orange eyes eyeing at the blood dripping talons that his dragon sported and smirked. "I see. No choice, then..." He glanced back at the man, the african teen, and the unconscious half-demon on the ground. "Well, well, looks like that little demon got a little _luck_. Next time I'll have _his head_ soon."

While still speaking, he leaped on the crimson dragon's back and flying farther away from the park, he grinned darkly at the still unconscious boy on the ground as he remembered the boy introduced himself during the heat of the battle. "...Farewell, the little _Warrior of Metal_. I'd love to look forward to see our next battle once you get _better!_"

With this, the hunter let out a loud and dark laughing as they faded into the sky.

The mysterious man with the golden tattoo on his hand huffed in anger, picking up the still unconscious half-demon boy with the head injured. Seeing this action, the African boy grew protective of the Heylin boy even if Yamato isn't his buddy. But if the _news_ of Yamato was _kidnapped_ to the Heylin group, it would be also _travel _to the Xiaolin group. Which it _means_ Omi would be very _extremely_ disappointed in him.

"Hey you _dude_! What are ya _doin' _with Yamato?" Jermaine exclaimed in protest, holding the Wu Shield in his left hand while his right hand rolling into the fist in the case if he have to fight that weird dude.

The man tilted his head slightly toward at the dark-skinned teen and frowned. "If we had been delayed any longer, Yamato wouldn't made it alive along with his head injures. Follow me if you like, brat." Turned around, he carried the unconscious boy in his arms on his way to his apartment as he smiled a little when he heard the African unwillingly followed him.

_That reminds me why should I help a Heylin warrior? Oh yeah, the reason is that Rai dude asked me... But why...? _Jermaine thought, remembering the phone call from the Brazilian to ask him to find a ill-tempered purple spike-like haired red-eyed boy named Yamato and to make sure that_ idiot_ didn't do something stupid like to get himself killed again.

Then again, that idiot already did something _stupid_.

Following the suspicious man, Jermaine sighed wondering how did he end up getting dragged into the supernatural side of this world? Ah, his homey Omi... That day he remembered his first basketball Xiaolin Showdown with the yellow headed monk against the half-wit pale-faced guy.

—

Meanwhile...

The wild brown haired green-eyed boy stood his back facing to the door of the white-bluish trailer, staring down dully at the cell phone he held in his right hand while his left hand tucked in his pant pocket.

"Marc still with him, Rai?"

Raimundo glanced up slightly at his darker cousin with purple eyes full of concern and worry, even if his cousin was good at hiding his emotion he still knows him pretty well. "Yea. What's going on? First you talked to that white haired pervert, then next thing I know you had me to convince Jermaine in USA to find that hothead guy with creepy eyes? Spill it, Khu!"

"..." The dark haired purple-eyed boy stood with his hands tucked into his dark topaz pant pockets, glancing upward at the sky. "Something bothered me for a while... All of us were going on a vacation given by our masters. Something wrong."

Unwillingly, the wind dragon nodded. Who wouldn't deny it when you were given a vacation considering how much training you were forced to practice and then you had to battle against your rivals during the showdown to win Shen-Gong-Wu, the Tools of God, every days and nights until coming home with many black, blue and green colors on your skin while being sore and scratched all over your body? Who wouldn't deny a nice, relaxing and non-fighting vacation?

…. Except for that hot head idiot who likes fighting...

"When I told my master what happen at the ancient temple in ruin, I mentioned that guy. Master Young had this strange expression, _almost_ as if he had know who the smiling bastard is. But then in a quick as second, he had stoic mask back again and _order_ me to never mention _that person_ to his face again." Khu said softly, frowning as his eyes narrowing in suspicious. "And then next thing I know, we are given a vacation for a month."

Raimundo nodded. "Master Fung did the same thing for us Xiaolin Dragons. Except he looked as if he's afraid of something coming when I told him the same story as you did. It could be that reason Marc's black dragon got hurt?" He said as he jerked his thumb toward the trailer. "I never saw how horrible he got in that state before, other than the old scars he had on his back. You brought him to here from the forest, covered with so much blood and many scratches all over..." His green eyes returned from the trailer to the purple eyes of his cousin.

"What did it to... no, _who_ did it to him?"

Khu narrowed his purple eyes, looking at his cousin and he wondered if he hadn't been on the dark side. Would he fight along side with his cousin? Or if his cousin had been remain on his dark side on the first time, would _he_ fight along with him?

"Would you believe me if I say there's _another one_ of you?"

Raimundo stared at him in shock.

—

Back to the apartment where Yamato had visited before...

"The boy will be in danger if he continued like this..." The Lady muttered worriedly, patting the wet cloth on the sweating and feverish boy who was suffered with a mindful of nightmares. "What a nasty _tainted_ attack!"

The African teen watched at the scene, bitting the lower lip as his brown eyes darted suspiciously at the quiet man stood in the corner watching the bedridden boy in silence.

"Okay. That's it! Who the hell are you, Tattoo dude!"

Suddenly the sound of the clapping behind the African boy, startling him as he turned his head and found the other mysterious, taller and black man with cheerful, hazel eyes. _What...? _

The man in a white suit with a white tall hat stood in the doorway to the living room. "Ah, dear me! That seem we have a new guest, along with a ill-mannered boy whose visited us before! I have to re-introduced us again. I am Lord Yoshikuni, one of the four Great Duke families and an old acquaintance of the Sankou families." With this, he stretched his white gloved hand toward the dark-skinned boy who was glaring suspiciously at his hand.

"I'm Jermaine." The African-American boy replied with a hint of tense in his tone.

Noticing how tense the boy was, Lord Yoshikuni wilted his hand disappointingly with a pout. "Anyway... This is my sister." He tilted his head lovingly toward the Lady who was tending to the now sleeping half-human with heavy fever and then he gestured his hand happily toward the bored-looking man. "And this man, whom saved your buddy's life, is my lovely best friend, Ren!"

"Not a best friend, Stupid Lord." Ren said grouchily, crossing his arms across his chest hiding the golden tattoo on his hand. "If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be end up becoming like that in this state!"

"Aww... how hurt! You shouldn't saying to a lord like that, Ren-pon!"

"_Don't Ever Call Me Pet! Especially in Japanese!_"

"But it's so cute~"

Jermaine stared at them bickering in a mute surprise and helplessly sitting in the chair, wondering what kind of the crazy people his homey Omi meet during his adventures? _I should have stayed in New York City, instead of going to China in the first place..._

"Just ignore them. They have been like that since fifteen hundred years." The soft female voice distracted him from the bickering duo to the beautiful, long black haired green-eyed woman in the some type of a Britain dress that fit for a queen.

"1,500 years?" Jermaine gaped at her in disbelief. _And they are not even that old!_

The woman smiled in amusement, as if she could read his mind. "We are in like that because of a curse." She replied gently putting the wet cloth into the cold water bowl before she sat up looking like a beautiful queen. "I am the sister of Lord Yoshikuni, Yoshikuni Miharu."

A name of Yoshikuni rang the bell in the African-American boy's mind as his brown eyes widened in shock. "Wait a second, in my history class... There is suppose to be a tragedy of the rich family in fifteen hundred years ago in the England! One of the Four Great Duke families, the Sankou family was lost in a massacre during one of the three sons' Coming-Of-Age Ceremony! Yoshikuni, Sankou, Lyndon, and Walkers are all there during that time." He narrowed his dark brown eyes suspiciously at the Lady. "Among them, the Yoshikuni was the first to leave before the massacre started."

Lady Miharu looked down at her hands rest on her lap. "Have you heard of the _'abyss'_?" She whispered softly, even soft that boy had a hard time to hear her voice.

"I've never hear of the abyss before, Lady." Jermaine admitted, raising his dark eyebrow in interest. As the lady glanced backward at her brother who was talking to the mysterious servant and then she turned her head back to the young boy with a heavy sigh.

"The abyss is like a prison where the emissary comes from to snatch those who commit heinous crimes. It's said that fearsome creature then takes them away to a truly terrifying place... Once if you were sent to that place, you will never come back alive to see a light again. The glimpse of that light will be your last thing to remember what it was like to see the beautiful world before you got swallowed by the abyss..." Lady Miharu said softly, shivering in fear as she held herself tightly, knowing her brother and the mysterious servant got quiet when she explained what the 'abyss' is to the young boy.

"That is _exactly_ what happened to _the third son_ of the Sankou family." As Jermaine heard a voice filled with tone of bitter and he turned his head back to the stoic face that belong to Ren.

The African-American boy frowned in thinking, his right fist supported his chin as he looked at Ren. "You were there? You know what happen at there?" He asked cautionary, not sure how the man will react to his questioning.

Ren narrowed his eyes sharply, gripping his hand where the golden tattoo lit up painfully. "Of course, boy! I was there because I..." He grimaced with a pained look on his face. "A servant of the Sankou family, mainly the third son's... and that servant betrayed his master by stabbing him in the back...That servant is not just his servant, but also his best friend since day one. The same person that betrayed that sent him to the abyss! Since that day, the servant was also cursed for commit a worst crime in the history."

With this, he closed his eyes tightly as he stood up from the chair he was sitting in and walking quietly to the doorway. Jermaine stared at his back, looking slight confusedly. "Do you know that servant?"

The man remain quiet for a moment, before he replied. "Yes, I do know him." Before he disappeared into the other room and the door closed with a soft thump. _That's because I'm him._

Jermaine bit his lower lip, his eyebrow knotting upward in suspicious at the door. Suddenly, he was distracted by a cry from the lady and he turned sharply, seeing her trying to calm down the purple haired sleeping boy who was suddenly trashed wildly in the room.

"He's burning badly! Brother, hurry up get a ice water! Jermaine, please help me to restrain that poor boy!"

Lord Yoshikuni ran out of the living room to fetch what he was ordered to fetch as Jermaine leaped from the chair to help the lady to restrain Yamato from injuring himself any farther. As Jermaine cursed silently, _What the hell is going on? I wish Omi and his buddies were here with me. They would know what's going on._

He bit his lower lip tightly once again, this time in anger as he remembered a certain master who helped him, even if he was been used for a purpose to defeating his best friend. _If only...My ex-master Chase Young would know... _

—

The black ocean filled with all broken building rubbles scattered all over, while the weird symbol acting as a source of light in the sky wether if it were Sun or Moon as the boy stood on the surface of black water and stared blankly in shock at the shadow himself come out of the mirror to greet him in a sly yet familiar way.

"_... I am called the Beast. Nice to meet you..." With this, he stretched his hand for to shake in greeting with a sickeningly innocent grin to the shocked pale-faced Heylin of Metal. "...Yamato Zendi. _

His crimson eyes widened in shock, as he regarded his shadow with a confused look. "What the hell..." He whispered, rolling his hands into fists and then he recovered with a familiar scowl on his face. "What are you doing here? Oh wait, where the hell I am?"

_The Beast looked at his host with a sly smile. "What a slow you are, host. You didn't realize where you are?" He then shrugged his shoulders almost playfully, walking silently across the black sea to his host. "You are in the inner world, in other word, your own mind. Surely, the wind kid could tell you that? Or rather, his cousin?" _

Yamato stepped back in distrust of the shadow who wears his face freely as if he wanted to play him like a fool. "Like hell I will! If I am in my own mind, then why the hell are you here?"

_Chuckling darkly, the Beast grinned in amusement at his host's behavior. "I am here ever since you 'died'. I was there a entire time since you met your 'loving' father." He grinned even wider as he strolled toward the half-human host as if he was discussing a weather with his host. _

"_Unfortunately, I wasn't the one that saved you from your first death... But, I am the one that save you from your second death when you were beaten to death and dying slowly. Even the third death when the mutt stab you in the chest with liquid poison, I was there to keep you from knocking on the death's door."_

_His golden eyes flashed in sinisterly at his host. "I am the real one. I am your real soul. A Demon born from you."_

Yamato gapped at him, then he remembered something. "Wait a second! Were you the one who forced me into _that beast_ and fought, even nearly kill _Khu with my own hands_ in a bloody battle back then!" He gritted his fangs furiously. "That _voice _in my mind telling me to kill him... That was _you_!"

* * *

**Flashback in Arc 1: The Gateway of Darkness...**

"SHADOW BLADE, DARKNESS CYCLONE!"

Marcos snapped out of his trance and stared in surprise at the black hurricane with red ball flying rapidly toward him, tearing up the earth to reach for him.

He stepped back in horror at such powerful attack in front of him and he was suddenly pushed down on the ground as he saw another boy holding the huge sword over his shoulder.

"Stay down!" Another boy yelled down at Marcos. "Hold on, you idiot!"

Marcos braced himself, shielding his arms over his head as he watched the boy stood in front of him facing the huge attack.

Yamato yelled out as he swung the huge sword over his shoulder forward so powerful force at the approaching storm. As the powerful force tearing up the silver ground with strange blue lightning all over the ground, as the white glowing ball toward the attack and then it collided the enemy's attack.

The black hurricane cannot hold back the attack and being swallowed by the strange attack. It continued toward to the puppet.

Khu's dull amethyst eyes widened in shock and terror. "No!" He yelled threw his arms over his face as it went flying around him and shattered his own blade with its powerful force. The sharp invisible blade of wind tearing up the silent warrior's clothes, lashing out its wind on his cheek and leaving him bleed.

The huge flash of the white light as Yamato watching it with pure stunned on his face and Marcos stared in horror and stunned while he was shielding his arms over his head.

Until the white light disappeared, revealing the bad wounded Khu panting with angry look and he looked like he could barely to stand still.

Yamato sighed in relief to seeing his leader still being alive, but knowing the puppet still under the stupid lord's control. "Damn…he's still under control." He growled quietly, lowering his huge sword.

Marcos looked up at him in surprise and confused until he realized what's going on. "Aseso…" He whispered, pushing himself off the ground and stood up. "What could we do snap him out of this control?"

Yamato gritted his teeth as he looked back at the older boy and realized that boy does look like mix in between Khu and Raimundo. He assumed that older boy was a Pedrosa too but he didn't know if he is Khu's brother or cousin.

"I… don't know." Yamato said finally, looking back to Khu. "Until we had to do something or die trying."

Yamato stood forward while Marcos was behind his back, looking at his young brother was still in pain yet he wasn't aware of bleeding to death.

_Aseso... _Marcos though sadly, watching him get back on his feet and his amethyst eyes locked his own eyes. He held his breath as he stared at the empty, almost black void in his brother's eyes. _Just like he had no soul...or whatwas all he had left of in him..._

But what he truly don't know that his brother had a half soul still clinging in somewhere in him.

Suddenly, he heard a low growling in front of him and he glanced back at Yamato but to his surprise, he saw the boy's eyes glowing dark red like blood…

_What's going on…?_

Yamato snarled his red glowing eyes as the strange green-bluish mist around him, slowly transforming him into very beast like his master.

Marco's eyes widened in surprise at before the silver beast in front of him. _What's happening!_ He thought in surprise and horrific at the new scene he wasn't used to it.

"_Kill!"_

"Don't! You're going to kill him!" Marcos yelled seeing Yamato leaped toward his young brother and landed on the injured shoulder he had nickered earlier.

Khu was thrown and landed on his back, staring up at the furious face of the silver beast with his emotionless face. Almost as if he knew it was coming to him and dragging him to his doom.

The beast snarled down at the calming leader as he raises his black claws in the air. _Kill, Kill, and kill the puppet! _All words repeating in his own mind as his slitting red crimson eyes laid on the cold, void of black amethyst eyes.

He could feel his great anger was still at raging and the thirsty of killing his rival. Khu is a powerful threat and he need to get rid of it.

But…

A side of his soul still resist and being confused why he was slowly hesitated to strike a friend or is he an enemy to him?

"_Under control or not, he still owns me a fight." _An unfamiliar words echoed through his mindless thought at first, he did not recognized the voice but all he knows that someone wants a fight.

"Stop it! You're choking him to death!"

He glanced down at his hands to his own shock, his hands was wrapping around his leader's neck without noticing or realizing. For a first time, he had seen what his hands look like and it was not his, instead of human hands it is a silver beast scales-like paws with black sharp talons.

Wasn't he a human?

"No…"

He refused to believe that he was a half-breed like Lobo always had told him too many times and he denied it while insisting he's only a human.

What's happening to him?

_Who I am…?_

_And what I am…?_

Meanwhile...

As at same time he flipped over and landed on his knees on the black ground, watching the beast arose from the ground.

When he had a glimpse of the familiar eyes and hair as he watched the beast turned to face him. He realized the beast was in front of him was his second-command friend, Yamato.

"Yamato…"

The beast lungs forward at him, raising his left fist in the air as he ran like a wind. The burning glare pierced through the leader's heart, moving into the battle position.

"_Aseso… The spirit of Yamato's ancestor will not rest until he had completed what he wish before his death… He wants the final battle before his death which he never gotten a chance to fight me."_

Khu's eyes widened when he heard his ancestor spoke in his mind. _So that what Zalo wants… All right, let's give him what he wants._

"I hope I'd do what was right thing to do, Xuan…" He said, running toward the beast as same time he raised his left fist in air.

They run at each other at same time as their fists collided against their cheeks and Marcos's own eyes widened when both of young boys remain where they stood with their fists remain where they had hit.

Then suddenly, both of them fell backward in the slow motion like a slow rain in slow play forward.

Yamato's crimson eyes were clutched shut tightly as he slowly transformed back to his human being and gasped when his back hits the black ground.

Khu's amethyst eyes glazed over and smiled like as if something he had completed had been successfully over as his back landed on the ground like a heavy sack without a noise, the wounds on his chest still bleeding heavily over his chest to the ground.

As he felt something in his hand, he lifted his head weakly and saw the blue feather lying on his palm. _Blue feather…_

"Pedrosa…?"

He looked up at the soft looking on the hotheaded, reckless boy's face as he grinned weakly at him. "Zendi…"

Yamato let out a weak laugh, more like he was let out breathing in relief, as he held out his hand downward at the leader. "Need a hand?"

Khu nodded as his hand reaches out and grab the offered hand and lifted himself up. He turned his head and saw his brother. "Marcos…"

Marcos smiled in relief. "You moron…"

Khu laughed.

**Flashback End.**

* * *

"That time when I had fight with Khu back then... When he was suddenly under control..." Yamato said softly, his eyes narrowed at the shadow. "Next thing I know I'm becoming a monster..."

"Then I don't know what's going on exactly as what Khu and his brother told me about that battle between me and him. But I _do _know one thing: you were there controlling me with _blood lust_ to kill him. I'm not even sure if you were either my ancestor... or a cursed demon that born from me because of that cursed soup my dad drank that ran through his vein of blood that I drank to save my life." Yamato pointed accusingly at the shadow that looks awful like him.

_Listening quietly what his host's speaking of his experience in the past battle, the Beast grinned. "I would love to rip him in half, but unfortunately, your so called ancestor stopped me just because we both wants a good fight. He still not allow me to kill that Xuan's beloved reincarnation, even if he do want fight him." His cat-like eyes looking around lazily, "If only he isn't exist that part of your soul, I would have take over your body and kill everyone!" _

Frowning at his shadow, Yamato crossed his arms. "Then where is he? I know I have seen him when I lost a part of me as I fought that mutt before. I could barely recall a little when he took a hold of me that time when I fought that tea-loving bastard. So, _Beast_, where is that old man!" He spat at the mocked name of his dear shadow.

_The Beast grinned, slowly rising his hand in the air, as he was amused when his host flinched at his tiny movement. He grinned, slowly rolling his fist and he tilted his head, his thumb sticking out downward at something below them. _

Blinking at him, Yamato looked down with a frown on his face and his eyes suddenly widened when he saw a hole that looking like a water whirlpool appeared under his feet, his face become pale in fear. "BWUAAAAAAAAGH!"

As he disappeared into the black water whirlpool and that was the last thing he heard before his vision went dark.

"_I will be waiting when you are ready to face me, my little host!" The Beast called out with a roar of evil laughing. _

_— **Even I wonder whether if this is a dream or a nightmare? What is dream? What is reality? What is life? What is death? **_—

_**TO BE CONTINUE…**_

…

…

…

**End of the Chapter VII**

* * *

Me: Oh no! What will our favorite anti-heroes do this time? Time for sneak peek about upcoming Next chapter: **"The Five Stages of Mind" **

"_The five stages of a human mind?" _

"_Yes, he must go alone on his journey to through all five stages of his mind: the Kshipta, the Mudha, the Vikshipta, the Ekagarata, and the Niruddha. After completing all stages, he will face the truth in the end of the final stage, whether he likes it or not." _

"_What if he don't complete them?" _

"_...He will knock on the death's door, no one will interfere his fate." _

Review this story, please.


	10. The Five Stages of the Mind

Disclaimer: I do not own Xiaolin Showdown and its characters… But I own my characters and wu(s).

Me: (watching Lobo running around like a wild dog, being chased by Yamato with a huge sword with help of his girl. While Lobo's beloved trying to protecting him from being skinned and used as a wolf furred coat.)

Lobo: HELP! (howling in fear as he ran past me)

Me: ¬ ¬ Hmm... Probably I shouldn't tell Yamato he can go skin him. I would lost my precious wolf as seeing his turn in the fourth Arc in the future if Yamato did skin 'im. Hmm...

Lobo: HEEEEELLLLPPPPP!

Me: (sigh a huge cloud) Yamato, you can stop now. (Seeing Yamato wouldn't listen) Khu if you would please?

Khu: Yes Ma'am. (as the sound of the sword _unsheathed_ and a sharp flash of the blade _through_ the air)

Suddenly, the sound of two familiar cries torn through the air and then silence.

Lobo & Yamato: (had both lumps on their heads, throbbing in pain) THAT HURTS! WHAT IF YOU KILLED ME WITH THOSE SHARP BLADE!

Khu: It was just the hilt I hit you two. By the way, that was uncorrupted Shadow Blade that cannot kill a mere living being so why should I kill you with it? (deadpan look) Perhaps should I do this...? (pulling a familiar-looking sword)

Lobo & Yamato: NOT THAT DRAGON'S FANG BLADE! KNOWN AS DARK BLADE! (clings each other in horror at the cursed sword)

Khu: Good. (smug look) Here the new chapter of Lady Lizgon's third Arc: The Cursed Heart of Steel! Please read and review, thank you readers!

Me: _O_o (...)_

* * *

…

…

…

_Look in the mirror, what do you see? _

_Do you see white building so high, _

_To touch the bright, blue sky? _

_Or do you see black ocean with fill of rubbles in ruin, _

_To feel despair and loneliness? _

_Look in the mirror, what do you see? _

_Do you see that butterfly? _

_Soar across the lake?_

_Or do you see the snake with its feral eyes,_

_Watching you in the looking through glass?_

_A mirror in my hand, what do I see?_

_Maybe everything I desire to see_

_Or maybe nothing at all._

* * *

((_Previous Chapter))_

_The Beast grinned, slowly rising his hand in the air, as he was amused when his host flinched at his tiny movement. He grinned, slowly rolling his fist and tilted, his thumb sticking out downward at something below them. _

Blinking at him, Yamato looked down with a frown on his face and his eyes suddenly widened when he saw a hole that looking like a water whirlpool appeared under his feet, his face become pale in fear. "BWUAAAAAAAAGH!"

As he disappeared into the black water whirlpool and that was the last thing he heard before his vision went dark.

"_I will be waiting when you are ready to face me, my little host!" The Beast called out with a roar of evil laughing. _

((Current_ Chapter))_

* * *

**The Cursed Heart of Steel**

**Arc 3**

— _The Five Stages of the Mind_ —

**Chapter VIII**

* * *

"BWUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-oof!"

Landing on the soft thing, Yamato blinked and blinked sprawling over on the soft cotton-like thing he fell on. He stared blankly at the now bright sky with clear blue and white clouds drifting by. Wait, those aren't clouds! That sort of... Wait, an ancient-looking car floated by? All of those non-animated and animated objects from the ancient time to modern time floating all way in the sky around him.

"What the...?" He whispered quietly, a dumbfounded look appeared on his face. Jumping off the soft thing and landed on the green-bluish grass, he turned around to see what was just thing he landed on. That was just...

...a giant cat plushy toy?

"What in the world...?" Yamato asked in a deadpan tone, glaring evilly at the giant toy. Looking around, he only saw nothing but the floating games he used to play in the past and there is a random and side-way castle in the distance that stick out of the ground like a sore thumb.

"Want a pizza? Sprite?" A sudden male voice spoke as the crimson-eyed boy jumped in startle and whirled around, staring blankly at the blond man in white suit holding the box of pizza with mushrooms and sausages on one hand and another hand was holding the giant can of sprite toward him.

"Uhh... Sure?" Yamato grabbed his favorite drink and was about to drink it, the thing suddenly popped out of the can and that turned out it was a bunch of colored balloons stalked upward in the sky. "BWUAH!" As he reacted, dropping the sprite drink in a shock surprise.

"What was that for, you bas... huh?" Yamato whirled around with a angry look on his face, but when he turned around there was no man in white suit and instead of it was a place of his suppose to be new house he was once...

...with his parents before they died...

"What is going on...? Surely this is my mind... But what is the meaning of all things like that?" Yamato exclaimed in confusedly, glaring at a giant toy-looking dinosaur roaming through the random city to his left side while the cliff near the ocean, the cat plush toy stood with its hand shaded its head under the sunlight in a dramatic effect to his right side. "This is not right!"

"Indeed, this is not right. Obviously, there is something serious wrong with you, kid. "

Yamato yelped at the sudden voice that was not belong to which one he knew in his life and that was a voice he heard during that time when he was fought against tea-loving bastard as he turned sharply, his crimson eyes narrowed in new annoyance at the new appearance of the owner of the voice in his mind and he suddenly remembered.

"YOU!"

"Ah, me." The man with long and dark purple hair in the pony tail, dressed in the ancient-looking black robe with crimson armor and he had two red marks on each of his cheek under his bright crimson eyes. No hint of demonic power in his eyes nor any trace of his skins.

"It took so long time than ten years since I ever met you in the past when you were nearly drown. And that time when you lost your demon powers at that river." He looked down at the young boy with an amused smile.

"You threw me in that river! You knew I can't swim, you bastard!" Yamato snapped, as he stormed angrily toward the older man lazing on the oversized stone with a jug of sake. "I know that's a damn necessary to get my demon powers back, but that's not how you did by throwing me like that!"

The man smirked in smug at him, drinking the jug of sake. "Even I knew you can do it. Beside, it's only way to overcome your fear of drowning in the water."

Yamato scoffed, plopping on the rock next to the man. "Now I think about it, who the hell are you?"

"You forgot?" The man asked in deadpan, stopping the jug and give a odd look at the boy. "Need I remind you?"

* * *

**Flashback in Arc 2: What's Beyond the Light?**

A shadowed over his wounded body as he continued limping through the forest, he choked as another puddle of blood falls on the old road he was walking on. He wouldn't give up like this; he was sick back then before he met Chase Young in his youth life.

"Can't anything get this worse?" Yamato snarled under his breath as if the gods answered to his question.

_KA-BOOOM!_

An annoyed looks on his face, as he was very soaked to bones under the heavy rain. "It's not what I meant, damn you!" He roared at the sky, shaking his fist furiously. "I bet you guys laughing your ass off at me!"

And he got his response with a lightning bolt stuck the tree beside him and the poor tree was burned to ash. "Eh… Never mind…" The Tiger of Metal chuckled nervously, scooting away from the pieces of ash. He knew in his blood, he would get stuck by a lightning like that if he's a tiger of steel.

Metal-type items are attracting to the lightning like the moths attracted to a light.

As the ill-tempered warrior of metal sulked angrily under the black clouds, glaring through his soaked dark amethyst bangs at nothing.

Until he passed the strange-looking man who looked a lot like him and he suddenly stopped his track as he glanced over his shoulder and stared at the man.

"Huh…?"

The man polished his precious blade – a rare color of aqua with a symbol of Chinese "forever" on the center of a blade. As if he felt he was watching by a boy, the man glanced up at him. "What are you staring at for?" He asked with faint accent of ancient Chinese and Japanese, his eyes showed a familiar color…

That what it caught the boy's attention as his eyes widened in confusion and awe at the man's eyes. It was the same color as his eyes…

"Who… who are you…?" Yamato meekly asked, nearly off balance and to stop himself from falling over by pressing his hand against the bark of an oak. "Tell me damnit!"

The man stared at him silently, a something flashed across his eyes and then suddenly he smirked.

"Who am I?"

Yamato stared at him in confusion, running his fingers through his dark soaked amethyst hair as he silently wanting to yell or demanded him about why that man looked lot like him. "You… You looked lot like me… except for that long hair… Wait…" As he recalled Ramon teased him by calling him a long hair because of his name. "Aren't you…" He began.

"I am the one that died here…" The man continued ignoring Yamato. "I was once fought a sea-snake demon and died of drowning in his first grave. Heh, I don't even get a chance to fighting my eternal rival."

_What he is saying…? _The boy thought stepped backward in one time, staring disbelief at the man. _Why he's talking as if he's already dead?_

The man chuckled darkly, moving a lone bang away from his face with his right hand and smirked at the boy. "How ironic… I fear the sea yet I fought it and sea is my grave. That bastard's kid brother died of defending a grand master monk he got respected and even a grave stone for him…and what I did deserve from him? Nothing. Even nothing at all…not a hint of appreciation from them after I did it sparing his life."

He turned his head and staring at the river by and a lip twitched into a half-smile on his pale face. "Zhai used to say a risk for my life to save all but one… yet killing all but one. I do not understand his damn riddle. He sometimes to can be all wise-ass I care but I sometime to think about what he say. Heh. I realized it was too late to change that as if I was alive in that time."

_Zhai…? Does it mean he… _Yamato thought to himself, eyes went wide as saucer-like size. "You're the former Tiger of Metal, aren't you?"

The man turned his head back to the boy and smirking so widely at him. "Is that so then?" He replied with a sly chuckle. "If I wasn't, then what if I'm your death grim I could take your life away." And then he laughed at the boy's reaction. "You better to defend your life against me."

As the haunting wind blew through their blood tainted red hair, the man and the boy stared at each other. The one with a smirk and another with a frown…

"_Remember, you have to think careful first…" _Yamato remembered Khu's warning to him before he entered his room. _"Or you'd be late for your own funeral."_

_A funeral… _His teeth gritted at the thought of two empty gravestones of his dead parents as he glared at the man. _Ha, I'll cheated death once again as like I did in age ago._

A hidden smile behind the man's smirk, knowing what went through the boy's thought. _It's your last judgment, little yama._

The boy thought stepped backward in one time, staring disbelief at the man and then returned to the strange blade. It does looked like one of the sword sheng-gong-wu(s). It had all same shape and also same symbol on it. Except…

He frowned. The blade's aura is all wrong and strange… Like it had either no soul or no aura. Only dull and hollow inside he sense in the small sword.

"This is a Blade of Aqua," The ghost ancestor stated as he tossed it gently upward and downward on his palm. "A brother of Shadow Blade and the Sword of Storm. Whoever held it cannot obeyed its wielder's command… unless the blade believe the wielder is worth to wield it with a pure aura."

Yamato miffed at this. "A pure aura? Then it's useless to me now." He turned around and he was about to take a forward step when the man's voice halted him.

"Is that so, Zendi?" Zalo asked smiling emptily at the boy's back. "You may sense it was completely useless now… because it had been sealed in my grave…"

He turned halfway toward the lake and pointed at it. "You have to go to it and see it yourself." He replied with a smirk.

Yamato stared incredulity at the ghost ancestor and yelled angrily, "Go to the lake and see it myself? ARE YOU INSANE-" He stopped and take a breath in, calming his temper down. "Alright, I believe you're just a nothing but moron. Take a side note, buddy, I. CAN'T. **SWIM**!" He cried waving his arms wildly, as if anyone saw him acting like a fool like that.

The ancestor ghost kept widening smirk even more, much to Yamato's upset. "Are you sure? Can't swim…" He titled his head to left side and still smiling at the boy. "Or… _won't_ swim?"

The boy's odd action suddenly stopped. The ancestor knew it coming soon.

"…" The boy painfully paused as his brown-red eyes nervously darted to the lake and then to the ground. "I… I just… I DON'T KNOW HOW TO SWIM, JUST QUIT SMILING AT ME ALREADY!" The ex-beast growled at Zalo as he stepped backward away from him.

His smile suddenly turned to line, the ghost stepped toward the boy and the boy unconsciously stepped backward. "You don't remember who saved your life from drowning?" He asked curiously, a mystery glint in his dark crimson eyes. "Of course you can't. You're just only five."

Yamato stopped and blinked once as the foggy memories returning to him.

_Then next thing he saw was the white light flashed at him and his family before he feels suddenly being thrown around in his seat belt like a lifeless toy._

_He shut his eyes tightly, clutching his seat in fear and feels the cold and wet harshly hit him. Took him a minute to realize he was in the freezing water and opened his eyes to see his parents in front of him._

_Hanging there lifeless and limping like a lifeless Chinese doll in the ocean. A cold reality hit him like a pound of brick, he was in the ocean and he can't swim very well._

_And running out of his air too!_

_He choked widened his fearful red eyes, clawing helplessly at his seat belt. And next thing he noticed in front of him and it was red ink floating from his parents. He realized it was not a red ink… it was a real blood!_

_He cried out in horror, not caring that he was losing his precious air and gripped his mom's hand. To his surprise, his mom's hand wasn't warm and gently... it was only deadly cold and icily..._

…_Like dead…_

_He may be a young kid but he wasn't stupid enough to realize that his dad and mom are dead. His visions suddenly started to blur and he was slowly losing his air, luring himself into the state of sleep._

_He feels so cold...feel so dead...His heart slowly beating quietly and his eyes closed gently. At least he knows he will join with his mom and dad forever._

_But he did not know that his life had been spared._

_All he saw the shadow swimming toward him and his vision went darkness…_

"…It can't be… You're just a ghost." Yamato muttered disbelief, refusing to believe what he saw when he was a child. "Ghost only touch nothing but a wind… I'm leaving now." He snarled turning around and started to leave.

"A coward… Fool!" Zalo said with a snarl cry as he ran toward the boy and pushed him toward the lake. "You will face your fear and your own judgment! Your life is held within the lake now. It's up to you to decide…"

_SPLAAAAASH!_

Unconsciously he shut his eyes tightly, feeling the painful sting of cold water against his skin and his lung hurts. He tried to swim back to the land but something pulls him down and refused to let him go…

He gasped for air but more water in his throat sent him had a choking fit. _No! Nonononono! I don't want to die! Mom! Dad!_

Helplessly, he imaged the faces of his parents and reached for them but as soon as his fingers touched them, they disappeared as he was swallowed into the darkness.

All he remembered was someone who always had a spotlight, not him. The one who always fought him and saved his life…

_Damn it…_

**Flashback End.**

* * *

As he remembered, pulling the familiar-looking dagger and held it in his hands as he stared at it. "I remembered all of it now. You threw me there and I went to the underworld in order to get my demon powers back." He looked up at the man. "But one thing I didn't remember you... was that you didn't even tell me your name."

The man blinked in surprise and then he threw his head back laughing in bellow. "Alright kid. My name is Zaiji Kousei. Everyone called me _Zalo_." He introduced himself, standing up on the rock as his crimson armor reflected the light in a reminder of the fact he was a Heylin Tiger in the past.

Yamato's crimson cat-like eyes widened in surprise as the memories rushed through his mind. "Those memories when I went through suffering as I was in the underworld... Those memories that belong to you!"

"..." Zalo nodded in grim, putting his jug of sake down on the rock and leaped off the rock to the ground with a silent thump. "Yes, unfortunately, a side-effect of being reincarnated to next life."

Narrowing his crimson eyes at his ancestor spirit, Yamato jolted slightly as he remembered one memory that didn't belong to him and that was a very sad one. "... Who's Kyo..."

Zalo flinched with a startle look, and then he glanced at him for a second before he looked away to the scenery. "...He's my best friend I ever had since in my life.." He whispered, looking at the mix of winter time and autumn time through the forest.

"He was the son of Shu, the bodyguard to the King and I was the son of Zhigure, the metalsmith in my village... He..."

He grimaced in disgust and anger. "Everything went chaos at moment when my father refused the request from the king for selling all spears he made in his shop. He sent an army to my village and cause an death upon them... I..."

Closing his eyes tightly, he crossed his arms across his chest feeling the familiar of being hopeless in the first time as he remembered the smelling of fire smoking, the screaming of the villagers, and the dying voice of his best friend.

"... I... accidentally activated my power of metal upon them and my powers were so out of control and I don't know what to do... Even I killed my best friend with those very spears I used to love... His name was Kyou Zousa."

Yamato stared at the man in shock. He thought he was only one with his out of control powers the first time at moment when the bullies mistreating him in the past.

The former Heylin of Steel spirit turned his head back to Yamato and smiled softly. "If it weren't for that stupid brothers of the Pedrosa clan, I would be a heartless monster that only lives to stealing and killing for the rest of my life. I wouldn't have meet all fellow warriors at the temple at that time."

Yamato shocked at the mention of his hated rival's last name and he gritted his teeth. _No wonder when I first laid my eyes on him, I felt a sudden hatred for him and an urge to kill him on the spot. Especially an strong urge of wanting to fight him!_

"Kid, what do you know the meaning of the five stages of the mind?"

The current warrior of metal snapped out of his thoughts at the sound of his ancestor's voice and then he stared at him with a dazed look. "EH?"

The cat plush toy floated away in the air, with an innocent smile on its feline face.

—

In the green-bluish mountain in the white mist, the lone creature was seen stalking through the bushes with two glowing golden pairs of eyes in the darkness. It stepped its large dark paw on the soft ground as it went in silent to the hidden cave, only a noble creature like this one would know the true location of the hidden place. Only it knows enough to not reveal the hidden location to its beloved master.

"Why are you _come_?"

The creature lifted its feline head to looked at the shadowy figure sat on the stone chair, there is hardly to see what the person look like but only pale blue eyes visible in the dark.

"_The time has come now." _The creature said sternly, its eyes glaring coldly at the shady figure on the chair. _"I could sense it. I'm certain my master knows as well."_

"...Ah, that seem he had finally meet the _demon_ within his soul..." The shadowy figure smiled, gesturing hands as that appears the shape of a shadow figure sitting on the stone chair is a male. "Your master will be unable to aid his _precious_ student. Nor all his apprentices... Especially the reincarnated _traitor_."

The creature snarled. _"Do not insult him! He is no longer the same. Same element, yes. But different souls... Different memories. Different names."_

The shadowy figure raised an eyebrow at this and regarded the creature before him with dark amusement. "It isn't his true name means _Assassin_, is it? Same for the traitor's true name, it means _the peaceful, mythical place_... Ironically, because it is also refers the place as a prison."

Stiffened at the tone of the figure sat in the chair before him, the creature felt its dark and silky fur stood in anger.

"_They are both discarded their true names and made a new name for themselves at the moment when their precious loved one born to this world."_ The creature replied in icy tone, stepped one forward with its dark paw as the pale light hit its now light brown furred face, revealing the familiar-looking red moon symbol with a red dot on its forehead while two red slit-like marks on each of its cheeks. It was a cougar.

"_You are only one I can trust when it comes to my master's pupil under my care. When he receive the blood from my master, you tamed the demon within him and sealed it to the deepest part of his inner world. **He** will be awakening soon..."_

The figure in the chair frowned as he knotted his fingers together and supported his chin in thought with his pale eyes now sharpened as he looked down at the large cat. "It seem he is now in a coma after his battle with a _rouge_ Xiaolin. He's already in the inner world... Then that means, in order to restore his mind, he must to complete the five stages of a human mind."

"_The five stages of a human mind?"_ The cougar asked in confusion, narrowing its glowing golden eyes.

"Yes, he must go alone on his journey to through all five stages of his mind: the _Kshipta_, the _Mudha_, the _Vikshipta_, the _Ekagarata_, and the _Niruddha_. After completing all stages, he will face the truth in the end of the final stage, whether he likes it or not."

The cougar curled its lip in disapprovingly and he seem almost worried, _"What if he didn't complete them?"_

The dark figure tilted his head to the side, a cruel smile grew on his shadowed face as his pale blue eyes almost glowing in the darkness. "...He'll knock on the death's door, no one will _interfere_ his fate."

The cat looked up to look at the figure's eyes and his eyes become steel. _"Don't underestimate my nephew, Lyndon. I'll coming back again once a certain wu is activated."_ As he turned around, his long tail flickered in dismiss and he headed back to the entrance of the hidden cave hallway to the exit.

"Is that so, I wonder?" The figure now known as Lyndon muttered with a smile. "_Darastrix Litrix_ was one of the dangerous _Tools of Gods_ that idiot monk created is the one that shouldn't be exist. Your beloved nephew which isn't of the same kin... he'll be end up in the same fate as the _Lose Cause..._"

He closed his pale eyes as he faded into the darkness. _I wonder... that boy will be able to stop the fate of chain from being placed upon on his neck? _

—

Meanwhile, back to the inner world...

"THAT BASTARD!"

Yamato yelled, gesturing his hands wildly in shock and anger. "That smug bastard! He did something to me with the weird powers of his in my mind! Physio or something like that!"

"Actually, it's a _Psyche_. It's a pure energy of the _chi _for the mind." The spirit answered dryly, taking one or two chugs of his jug of sake and then he realized the young boy made a face at the mention of "chi".

He let out a lazy sigh. "_Chi_ (also spelled _Qi_) translates roughly to _vital energy_ in Chinese. It refers to the _life force_ that flows through all plants, animals and human beings. _Chi_ is that _bio-electricity_ or _energy_ in the body which makes us _alive._ It is also that_ life giving energy_ that permeates our universe." He picked up the pebble and held in his palm.

"For an example, Dashi used his _chi_ to transform this _pebble_ into _a puzzle box_ that used to trap the witch. He did with Shen-Gong-Wu as well for his so called _experiments_." With that memory of the experiments, he grimaced in pain and he tossed the pebble over his shoulder.

And then he pokes his thumb toward his chest. "And this _Ki _is what we use for our elements to summon from the _chi_ within our bodies that allow us to _perform_ our techniques for centuries."

Yamato stared blankly at the spirit and sighed heavily, gestures his hands in confusion with his crimson eyes closed. "I didn't get it at all." With this, he reopened his eyes and glared at him. "I don't understand what the hell are you talking about... But I do understand one thing..."

He pointed at himself rudely, with his lips pulling in a snarl. "If my mind is shattered and scatters all over this inner world...Then I'll have to find them together and get back at that bastard who did this to me!"

And then he slashed the air with his hand, his eyes shined in determination. "Even if you say I have to complete all five stages in order to get outta of here, then so be it!"

The spirit grinned in delight. "Very well, then here you goes!" With what he said, he tossed a sparkling item to the Heylin as the boy caught it with his hands with a surprised yelp. And that revealed it was an strange-looking shape of a golden key.

"What the...?" Yamato stared in confusion at the golden key and then glanced up at the spirit. "What does it do?"

"You'll know when you reached the end." The spirit simply replied and then he turned slightly, looking over his shoulder with a small smile.

Looking at him confusedly, Yamato turned his head to where the spirit was looking at and there is a worn-looking old brown door with a hint of a crack in the small window appeared out of no where on the hill before the current Heylin and the dead Heylin warriors. "Where did that door comes from?" He asked gawking at the door as he wondered where did he had seen it before.

"That door is the first stage of the butterfly mind known as the _Kshipta_, which is the source of your childhood memories." Zalo said softly, looking back to Yamato with a stern look. "You must remember you are not in the past, you are already in the present. If you falter for a second, you'll be in a deep trouble."

Yamato grinned. "No problem! I'll be right back, after all I'm the man of steel!" At this last comment, the spirit rolled his eyes in response. As he watched the boy walked to the door, grabbing the old wooded knob and turned it, opening the door.

"...Good luck, boy..." The ancestor of the metal element said with his red eyes softened as the door slowly closed, blocking his view of his reincarnation.

He looked up at the sky. "Do you think he'll be ready for to face you once he completed all the stages?" He spoked looking upward, his eyes didn't even waver when his question was suddenly answered back.

"_Is that so? If he's a man of steel, a strong one with a hard heart. Then I'll be a man of war in this dream, the one will make sure his journey will be long."_

"...I see..." The ancestor looked down to the door and then he closed his eyes, as he was slowly fading to nowhere. "...Don't underestimate him. He'll surprise you."

As his voice vanished, leaving the inner world in silence.

* * *

_**— If you said look to the right, **_

_**I'll look to the left. **_

_**If you said to jump, **_

_**I'll duck. **_

_**If you nod your head, **_

_**I'll shake my head. **_

_**I will not listen to your advices. **_—

* * *

_**TO BE CONTINUE…**_

…

…

…

**End of the Chapter VIII**

* * *

Me: Ah, here we goes! Yamato will be swimming in the memories of his childhood life as we already got few glimpses of his past more than we had of Khu! Maybe we will know who the mysterious person was called _Lyndon_ is when our beloved Zhai talked to him. Time for sneak peek about upcoming Next chapter: **"The Kshipta Stage" **

_Yamato blinked his crimson eyes and his eyes widened in shock, as the cards flying with the wind. _

"_It's been in a while, Long Hair!" _

_As he gawked at the familiar child with yellow eyes and familiar-looking scar-like claw marks on his left cheek who should be in adult and should be dead stood before him. _

Please Review!


	11. The Kshipta Stage

Disclaimer: I do not own Xiaolin Showdown and its characters… But I own my characters and wu(s).

Me: (looking at my grades on the laptop) Math grades: 85, 94, 40, 80, 75, 83, 40, 100, 100, 93, 100, 85, 100, 100, 95, 81, 100... Biology Lab: 60, 100, 100, 100, 1st Test 60, 100, 100, 100, 100, 2nd Test 80, 100, 90... Film: 100, 100, 100, 100, 100, 92, 100, 100, 100... So far, I'm pretty good in this month. (smiles)

Lobo: Only bad grades are just 40(s) and 60(s). Most of them are great! You're doing great! (grinned, giving me an thumb)

Me: (laughs) Thanks! I'm worst at studying. If Raimundo's and Yamato's memories are like inner world. Then my inner world of memories would be that big library with all papers lying on the floor anywhere! It's impossible to find a correct information when it comes to tests and quizzes.

Ciara: Yet, you didn't give up and your determination is stronger. Even although you do complaining and whining during that period of studying. (deadpan)

Me: (twitched, Thoughts: _Why you have to point out my flaws, Ciara?) _

Khu: It don't matter who's whining or complain. All it matters is she's doing well so far. (to readers) Here the new chapter of Lady Lizgon's third Arc: The Cursed Heart of Steel! Please read and review, thank you readers!

Me: Please Enjoy, folks!

* * *

Speak English – "Normal"

Speak Chinese – _"Italic"_

Flashback – **Bold**

Yamato's thoughts - _Italic_

* * *

…

…

…

_To be grant the power, _

_I will lost something precious to me..._

_To be become a lost cause, _

_I must fight..._

_I wonder will you love me, _

_If you knew what a beast I am?_

_With one arrow, _

_to piercing through the heart... _

_Which one will you go, _

_to the light or to the darkness?_

_((Previous Chapter))_

"That door is the first stage of the butterfly mind known as the _Kshipta_, which is the source of your childhood memories." Zalo said softly, looking back to Yamato with a stern look. "You must remember you are not in the past, you are already in the present. If you falter for a second, you'll be in a deep trouble."

Yamato grinned. "No problem! I'll be right back, after all I'm the man of steel!" At this last comment, the spirit rolled his eyes in response. As he watched the boy walked to the door, grabbing the old wooded knob and turned it, opening the door.

"...Good luck, boy..." The ancestor of the metal element said with his red eyes softened as the door slowly closed, blocking his view of his reincarnation.

He looked up at the sky. "Do you think he'll be ready for to face you once he completed all the stages?" He spoked looking upward, his eyes didn't even waver when his question was suddenly answered back.

"_Is that so? If he's a man of steel, a strong one with a hard heart. Then I'll be a man of war in this dream, the one will make sure his journey will be long."_

"...I see..." The ancestor looked down to the door and then he closed his eyes, as he was slowly fading to nowhere. "...Don't underestimate him. He'll surprise you."

As his voice vanished, leaving the inner world in silence.

_((Current Chapter))_

* * *

**The Cursed Heart of Steel**

**Arc 3**

— _The Kshipta Mind_ —

**Chapter IX**

* * *

As the boy stepped out of the old-looking brown door, the sunlight suddenly hit his face. With a curse, he blocked the light with his hand from near blinding his eyes. "Tch!" He grumbled as he walked down the old stone stairs to the sidewalk ground. "Where am I?"

Opening his eyes to see the scene before him, he stared at the houses that was lined up and looks all alike, even in same shapes of the roof and same colors. There is a river that separate between the lining houses and he noticed a bridge that was across from one side to another side of the street.

That was where he was born in before he moved to USA with his parents...

_((Wuzhen, a town with a history of 1200 years, is Located in the center of the six ancient towns south of Yangtze River, just 50 minutes' drive from Hangzhou. This small town, with its black tiled, oil-painted timber framework houses that contrast sharply with its white walls and gray flagging brings to mind a Chinese ink and wash painting, is notable as " home to celebrities". It has nurtured generations of predominant scholars, government officials, brilliant politicians, etc. The window sills of the houses on the banks of the river are further extended with boards, on which flowers, plants and bonsai bloom in the warm sunshine, adding a touch of life and color to this tranquil, old-style town.))_

"This... is my hometown..." Yamato whispered in shock, his eyes become softened. "...That town is where I was born here... Come to think of it, I haven't seen my old house since my folks moved to USA."

With this, he decided to head off to his old house. His house was just like any other houses he had been walking past, nothing out of the ordinary... It was...

_...normal..._

Yamato stopped at his track, staring blankly at the familiar-looking door in front of him. It had been many years since he had run through that door when he was late for his school that he had been transferred to. "...it's still same... huh..."

* * *

[**Flashback**]

"_Late! Late! Late!" The young boy panicked speaking in chinese as he rushed down the downstairs to the entrance door via the kitchen room, with a rice ball in his mouth and he grabbed his dark brown backpack. _

"_Wait! What about the lift to your school?" His mother speaks in chinese, looking worry and she asked if he need a lift to his school as she cooked the breakfast while his sleepy-looking father sits on the dinner table, reading newspaper in his hands. _

"_Don't worry! It's not that far! Bye!" The boy laughed, grinning as he denied her offer and told her his school wasn't very far from where he lives. As he forbid them a good bye, he left through the door. _

[**Flashback End**]

* * *

"I was that kind of happy back then... on my first day of my second school I was transferred to.." Yamato chuckled, putting his hand gently on the door and then he turned to look at the old direction to where his school was, walking to that place. "But I was a troublemaker, that I can't make a friend at my old school..."

* * *

[**Flashback**]

"Students, Students, please listen. We've got a new student that transferred here from Hangzhou International School. His name is..."

The _shī fu_ wrote the name onto the black-board. Next to him, a lone boy stood with bright purple spiked hair, red-brown eyes and a little darker skin. But not as dark as tan.

"... Zendi Yamato."

The boy smiled uncertainly and waved with his hand. _Why he have to be shy at this time? He's only eight, soon to be nine in a next month!_

"Zendi-sidai, since our last seat-change the only free seat is next to Shishido-sidai. Will you sit next to him?"

His red-brown eyes flickered from his teacher to the empty seat next to the black haired boy, a pale face with creepy golden eyes, grinning lazily at him as Yamato nodded and walked to the boy. The Shishido kid grinned at him and greeted, "Hiya! I'm Shishido Ramon! Nice to meet you!"

As Yamato plopped onto the seat, not answering to the boy and paying attention to the black-board that the teacher wrote on talking about something like a history of the China War.

Noticing the new boy's attitude at his greeting, Ramon's left eyebrow twitched in annoyance. _Not a friendly one, isn't he? Alright, that's it! Making this guy to laugh is my now goal!_

Later at the end of the class, the bell rang as Yamato was suddenly surrounded by all of his new classmates. He yelped as he ducked under their questions and then Ramon raised his voice and laughed, "Guys! Let him go to get some air. You are all question him too much~!"

Everyone muttered disappointed, but they left and did what they ever do in their breaks. Grinning, Ramon turned back to his fellow classmate and...

….the seat was empty.

Dramatically, Ramon anime-style fell over. _Whaaaaaa...?All ever I did to save him from the crowd and he left with no thank you? What a troublesome kid he is! _

When the bell rung its final ring, as the students flowing out of the school chattering excitedly, grabbing their bikes and everything on their way to the park or their houses. At the park, Yamato sat silently on the bench watching the kids ran around playing the ball with laughing cheerfully. _Hmph. I'm going home. _

Walking out of the park with his backpack on his back, he looked down at his palms in trance and he did not realize there is a shadow grew bigger and bigger on his face.

**_BONK!_**

Yamato yelped in surprise and a slight pain on his face as the object hit him in the face, closing his eyes tightly as he fell on his butt on ground holding his nose painfully as the ball bounced behind him and rolled to the wall of the house.

"_That's hurts!_" He growled in Chinese, glaring at whoever kicked the stupid ball to his face like that. But when his eyes contacted to the familiar face, his eyes widened in shock. _It's him again!_

"Whoops! Sorry about that! Here." The black haired golden-eyed boy said in English with three marks on his left cheek, smiling cheerfully as he stretched his hand in front of the boy on the ground.

* * *

_I thought no one... _

_...would lend a hand to a troublemaker like him..._

* * *

Yamato stared at him in shock and then before he could react, his right hand lashed out and smacked the boy's hand away from his face with a snarl. "I don't need it!" He snapped angrily in English. Of course, he knows English, thanks to his mother.

* * *

_Only this idiot... _

_...who would grin like a fool..._

* * *

"Right, no touching allow." The laughing boy agreed as he surrendered his hands in the air, smiling as the playful glint in his golden eyes. "I already introduced myself back at school. I'm Ramon. That means _'wise protector'_ in Spanish!"

Well, that explains how Ramon knows English...

"Who cares about that!" A five years old Yamato yelled glaring deadly at the cheerful boy and he angrily turned around his back facing at him. "Tch! I'm outta here!"

* * *

_...That fool wouldn't leave me alone..._

_...not if I had caved in to his whining..._

* * *

"Oi! Wait, wait, waiiiiit!" Ramon cried out, running with a ball under his right arm when he picked it up before he went after Yamato. "Where did you go? Oi! In the tradition, when I introduced myself to you so you must introduce yourself!"

But Yamato continued ignoring him, the black haired boy narrowed his golden eyes and a nasty idea suddenly popped in his mind as he smirked evilly.

* * *

…_.or he blackmailed me..._

* * *

"Or if you don't, I'll stick myself to your side and bothering you forever!"

Realizing in horror, Yamato stopped in track and turned his head over his shoulder sharply to Ramon. "Fine! It's Yamato, alright?"

Angrily, he snatched the ball from Ramon and cruelly popped the ball. "Hope you drown in the river!" With this, he ran down and turned left, vanishing in the sights of the grinning boy in victory.

* * *

_I remembered that ball... It wasn't belong to that idiot, but it was belong to that Shinjido guy..._

_...Because of I popped his ball landed me in trouble with that guy that idiot was hanging with..._

* * *

"Yamato... Heh, not a bad name!" Ramon laughed and then he paused in a sudden realization, looking down at the dead ball in his hands. "Uhh... How am I going to tell Ran about his ball?"

[**Flashback End**]

* * *

"Wait a second, isn't the same Ramon as I met him back in that ancient temple in ruin? He died with that freaking bastard Lycan when I strike with my spear..." Yamato sighed, rubbing his forehead with the back of his hand as he hopped over the leftover wood lying on the sidewalk.

"He didn't have gray-blue furs on his face back then when I was eight years old...He looked so much human without that gray-blue furs...and no white-blue furry ears either... Maybe he's like that idiot mutt. Except he don't have that oversized wolf ears like that idiot did."

He chuckled, feeling amused as he pictured what Lobo looks like with white fuzzy face. _It wasn't even a difficult to picture him in like this. Especially with that scar on his face._

Tucking his hands in his pockets, Yamato walked across the bridge to the old school was visible in view. "This is where I first met him, that guy Ramon was hanging out with..." He grinned. "He was too much of hot head than I am..."

_If only I were to realize that I was also a hot head as well._

* * *

[**Flashback**]

— Next Day —

"_YA-MA-TO!_"

Stuffing his lunch foods into his mouth, Yamato turned his head slightly to the right with his cheeks puffed like a tiny chipmunk at the sound of his name. He was greeted by the icy blue eyes that reminds him of the sea reflected the sky, it was glaring at him.

Wait. It wasn't an '_it_'... It was a boy. Black haired Asian one to boot. An angry one with an vein mark on his forehead, it was throbbing and _throbbing_...

Wait. Wasn't that boy directing his anger at him? What did he _do_ to make that boy _angry_?

"_You Popper!_"

"Hm?" Yamato blinked disinterestedly at him with his brown eyes, he turned back to eating his lunch ignoring the pissed off boy as he looked at the river, sitting on the bridge.

"_You pay me for popping my ball!_" The boy growled in Chinese, grabbing Yamato's uniform shirt and shaking him angrily.

"_Since when I have popped your ball, you dummy?_" Yamato snapped back in Chinese, trying to get that stupid boy off his collar before he was choked to death.

"_Of course you did! I lend my ball to Ramon and then he told me that you popped my ball!" _He roared shaking Yamato, lifting his right fist as he was ready to hit that troublemaker in the face.

"Ran! Stop it!"

* * *

_It was what I heard the voice begging that boy named Ran to stop... I didn't even realize it was Ramon's voice, as that Ran guy mentioned before...I was punched in the face._

* * *

_**CH~ACK!**_

— Later —

Holding the ice bag onto his sore-looking blackened left eye, Yamato grumbled softly as Ramon scolded hotly at the black haired blue-eyed boy that was growling, holding another ice bag onto his left cheek while he had bruises all over on his face and hands. "You shouldn't done that, Ran!" He snapped, swatting the cotton ball onto the bleeding cut that was on Yamato's right cheek.

"_That's hurt!_" Yamato yelped in Chinese, narrowing his brown eyes angrily at Ramon. "_Quit it! I'm fine!_"

Ramon whirled around, glaring at Yamato to shutting him up. "And you! You don't have to do that either! You and Ran don't have to go overboard, beating each other to death!"

* * *

_That was when I found out that Ran and Ramon are cousins, despite they are different from each other... and then Ramon decided to give me a loathsome nickname that will forever haunting me..._

* * *

"Yamato, eh?" Ramon mumbled, rubbing his chin in thought with a smirk. "It means many things... for example, '_Ancient Japan'_ or '_Great Harmony'_ or '_Temple'_... or... '_Mom'_...!" As the black haired boy getting excited and excited, spouting off the meaning of different languages.

Nearly tripping over his feet, Yamato stared in repulsion at the clearly insane boy in front of him.

"_Mom"? Where in the hell did that meaning came from my name! _Yamato thought in horror, dropping his jaws to the ground.

"..._'God of Death'_... Not not it, he can't be a death reaper for no reason..." Ramon muttered, pressing his brush pen on his notebook and wrote something in odd characters.

Cutting him off quickly, Yamato stared blankly at Ramon, groaning. "What are you going on and on about my name meaning? Just forget it already!"

"...Got it! '_Mountain'!_" Completely ignoring the purple haired boy, a smirk on Ramon's face grew bigger and bigger.

_Actually, my name refers to the ancient Japan that lasted onto 8__th__ century. Got that from my Japanese Dad. Plus, it is in kanji that means 'great harmony'. _Yamato thought with a sigh in annoyance, crossing his arms. _As for my last name in kanji means 'before time'. I never understood what my full name means together... 'before time, great harmony'... _

"No, not it either...He's too fragile for that one. Hmmm..." As Yamato heard his friend muttered to himself, he gritted his teeth angrily.

Gawking at him feeling offended at being described as a fragile object that could be shattered into pieces, Yamato narrowed his brown eyes glaring at him. "That's it!" He howled as he tackled Ramon off the top of a hill and they end up rolling down a long way to the river. "Cut it out you idiot!"

_Splaaaaaaash!_

"BLECH!" Both the boys shouted, spitting water out of their mouths as they splashed and trashed in icy cold liquid when they swim through the river to the surface.

"Brrrr! That's all your fault, yellow-eyed dummy!" Yamato snapped with his brown eyes closed, twisting his black shirt with a design of sword and a symbol of blue circle, including two long red sleeves and a red collar to get rid of all water from the river. He was wearing a dark blue pants. "If only you listened to what I say to _quit it_ so we wouldn't be that soaked, Stupid!"

When he received no response, he opened his eyes and looked at him in suspiciously at the motionless boy next to him as he saw the soaked notebook the stupid boy was holding in his hands. _Serve him right! That Dumb! _Yamato thought cruelly, shaking his shirt to dry it off before he dressed it back on.

Huffing, he turned around and starts to walk but stopped when a sound behind him reached to his ears. He turned around to see the back of Ramon kneed down on the floor his shoulder shaking so violently.

_I-I-Is he c-c-c-crying...? _Yamato thought, gaping in disbelief and horror at the shaking idiot as he stepped back a step at the same time.

"U-U-Um... Hey idiot—er, Ramon...?" Yamato chuckled nervously, approaching to the shaking being on the ground as he felt his forehead grew sweaty and his body twitching slightly, not knowing what to do when you see someone crying in the situation like that. "Uhh... A-Are you okay...?"

Suddenly, the black haired idiot burst out laughing as he whirled around and leaped back on his feet at same time pointing almost too closely to the startled purple haired boy's face. "That's settle it! Your name is _'Long Hair'_ ~ (hearts)!"

_Haaa-uuh? _Yamato thought in anger and confused while the invisible, purple haired teen managed to hit himself with his palm in defeat. "What the heck?"

He ran to Ramon, snatching the notebook out of the black haired boy's hands and then he stared disbelief at it, exclaiming angrily to the grinning boy. "All strokes my name's in kanji are either soaked or even barely visible at all!"

Shockingly, he could clearly read the kanji in two characters now, it screamed _'Long hair'_ to him.

* * *

_Then again, it would be the last thing I have ever want to hear from him when my family and I moved to USA..._

* * *

— Next Day —

"WHAAAAAAAAT?"

_Thump!_

As the sound of the skin slapped against the wooded table, as the black haired boy stood leaning over to the bored looking boy in the chair. "You said your mom got _a new job_ at USA and you all have to _leave_?" Ramon whined, sniffling over-dramatically. "Won't that bother you, _Long Hair_!"

Yamato let out an tired sigh with his eyes closed. "That's nothing..." He trailed off as he snapped open his eyes in annoyance and his eyebrow twitched angrily. "...And you don't have to _CRYING ALL OVER MY DESK_!" He yelled, pointing accusingly at the tears sprouting onto his desk from the bawling idiot.

"Just forget it, Ramon. He won't care about us, not even a slight." As the young Yamato heard the voice, he turned around to see the boy with ice blue eyes glaring at him.

"Ran!" The black haired boy greeted cheerfully to the blue-eyed boy in the school uniform. "He do care about us! If he don't care about us, he would pound me into the bloody pulp. Right, _Long Hair_?"

"Quite calling me that!" Yamato snapped, death glaring at the grinning golden-eyed boy. "And what are you doing here, you dummy?" He quickly directed his rude question to the blue-eyed boy.

"I'm in the next door, idiot. I can hear my stupid _tángdì_ wailing nonstop so I had to come to see what's going on." Ran replied coolly, narrowing his blue eyes at Yamato as he tucked his hands into his uniform pant pockets. "I heard you're going to move, Zendi."

"Yeah, so?" Yamato grumbled, crossing his arms glaring at Ran. "Since when you starts to care about wether I am leaving or not?"

"I really don't want to." Ran quickly snapped, crossing his arms across his chest angrily. "But on the other hand, my _tángdì_ do. If you go, he'll probably flooded a whole city with his tears."

Yamato stared at Ran, then back at the weak-looking crying golden-eyed boy at his desk. _Unfortunately, it is true... _

"Ugh. Fine, in a next week in the morning I'll be gone."

* * *

_Within a week before that day, I learned about that Shishido boy. I didn't even realize that Ramon is really good at playing cards... and he had a weird problem with falling asleep against his will..._

* * *

— Lunch —

_PLOP!_

"Here he goes again, falling asleep with his face in the bowl." One of the students remarked staring at the black haired golden-eyed boy snoring with his face down in the bowl on the lunch table.

"Yeah... It's like, what, fifteen times a week?"

"There was a time when he suddenly fell asleep while kicking a soccer ball! That was so funny to see him like that!"

"Hahaha! My friend told me his friend told him that _Sifu _thought that Shishido fainted for no reason in his class he was going to call the hospital, but he discovered that Shishido's just asleep!"

Tediously, Yamato poked carelessly at the sleeping Shishido with his chopstick. "Is he alright?" He asked his red-brown eyes darted to the Shinjido next to the sleeping one. "He's not dying, is he?"

"No." Ran snorted, stabbing his chopstick into the rice and lifting them to his mouth. "He's only just having his rather extreme narcolepsy moment. He tended to randomly fall asleep while eating and conversing, leaving strangers around him wondering if he had died."

Yamato stared. "What? Seriously?"

_What a strange friend I have made in my life. I wonder if I had stayed, would I be the same I was once? Would I have a capable to smile and laugh just like that fool? _

[**Flashback End**]

* * *

His shoes landed on the lone branch, breaking it noisily as Yamato stood staring down at the lone tombstone while the clouds above him slowly turning into gray and the wind howling, ruffling his purple hair.

Blinking his crimson eyes weakly, his lips become thin tightly as he eyed on the familiar characters in Chinese he hadn't seen since he left as a eight years old child. "I knew it. At that moment when I saw you before I left at the airport, you were trying to hide the fact that you are..."

Tucking his hands into his jean pockets, Yamato looked up at the grayed cloud sky that looks like as if it was about to rain. "That day when I was about to left... When he appeared...And it was the first time I heard him calling my first name instead of that loathsome nickname I dislike with passion..."

* * *

[**Flashback**]

"_**YA-MA-TO!**_"

The boy with the familiar clothes he was wearing when that day a idiot decided to call him a loathsome nickname blinked, adjusting his traveling pack to his balance as he turned around seeing the familiar boy running after him.

"...Shishido?" He gaped at the heavy panting boy fell to his knees in front of him. _Why...? Even all these days I treated him like a trash I don't care about, even so he still see me as a friend?_

"Zendi, you better owe me a new soccer ball that you popped!" Another familiar voice remarked coldly, as the black haired ice blue-eyed boy followed after Shishido kid, tucking his hands in his pockets calmly.

"... Shinjido?" Yamato exclaimed in surprise, dropping his traveling pack onto the ground. "What... What are you two doing here?"

Lowering his red-brown eyes to the ground, he frowned. "...and why?"

Regaining his breath, Ramon flashed him that unforgettable grin. "Isn't that _obvious_? We're your _friends_, aren't we?"

Shocked, Yamato stared at Ramon. "... Shishido..."

"I hate to admit, but he's right. You're our friend, no matter what." Ran sighed in annoyance, a small hint of blush across his cheeks as he looked away. "I won't let you get away from what have you done to my ball."

Yamato let out a small smile at this. "...Shinjido..."

"Yamato, if you're about to leave..." Ramon trailed off, looking for something in his backpack he was carrying with him. "...I want you to have it."

It turned out it was a blue GAME BOY, a handheld video game device.

"But...!" Yamato gaped in surprise, he haven't seen it since in Japan. "Why did you give this to me?"

Ramon simply smiled with his soft golden eyes before he shoved it into the purple haired boy's hands and run back to the black limo car. "Don't forgot return my video game to me you promise!"

Ran sighed at the . "It's because he didn't want you to be bored to death on the long trip to USA." Then suddenly, he recoiled and he took a hand napkin out of his back pocket to cough into.

"Shinjido?" Yamato exclaimed in worry, holding the Boy Game tightly and narrowing his red-brown eyes. "You're not sick, are you?"

"It's nothing..." Ran gulped few times before he breathed more easily, stuffing the hand napkin into his back pocket. "I'll be live."

His ice blue eyes locked into Yamato's red brown eyes, he grinned weakly. "Don't call me Shinjido. We never have a properly introduction, haven't we? My name is Shinjido Randolf. Call me Ran or Randolf will do fine."

Yamato blinked in surprise, then he grinned back to Ran. "...Zendi Yamato. As long as it's not _Long Hair_, but Matt is just fine with me." He acknowledged for the first time, he laughed.

_That was the last time I have seen him... I knew at that moment when I saw that hand napkin. He wasn't going to live that long, I knew it's only a matter of time before he kicked a bucket. It was the first time I was happy to make the first friends in my life..._

[**Flashback End**]

* * *

"...and now you are that damn stubborn, not enough to tell me that you're not going to live." Yamato grumbled with a sigh. "You even said to my face, '_I'll be live.'_ My ass!"

His crimson eyes turned away from the sky and to the characters on the lone tombstone, it stated:

_Randolf Icarus Shinjido_

_March 25th 1982 – June 20th 1996_

_A loving son_

_A great friend_

_A proud cousin_

_"To be pride like a wolf!"_

Yamato shaped his shoulders in defeat, shaking his head. "...I didn't return his BOY GAME to him, it was lost..." He hesitated before continued on, "...and I was just...don't get you a new soccer ball like you want..." Nervously, he run his hand through his purple hair.

"So many things all happened so fast, I don't even understand at all. I'm a Chinese for all gods' sake!" Yamato growled weakly, before he gently fell onto his knees in front of the tombstone. "If only I knew you are going to die back then...I would have begged my parents to stay... and then none of all things would have happened..."

His fingers dug into the dirty ground, he shut his eyes. "I want my life back to normal! Back to where I was that damn eight years old and changed all history of this!"

_Ka-BOOOM!_

As the clouds thundered, he was suddenly soaked in heavy and freezing rain as he panted heavy, his eyes closed tightly.

"Yes... If you had, none of all this things happened." A gentle voice chipped with a hint of laughing freely. "But it did happened and nothing you can do about it."

As he heard that voice, he froze and staring at the dirty wet ground as his eyes snapped open in shock. _This can't be...This voice... _Slowly, he looked up to the owner of the laughing voice. _Isn't he already dead...?_

Yamato blinked his crimson eyes and his eyes widened in shock, as the cards flying with the wind.

"It's been in a while, _Long Hair_!"

As he gawked at the familiar child with yellow eyes and familiar-looking scar-like claw marks on his left cheek who should be in adult and should be dead stood before him.

"... Shishido...?"

His arms locked behind his back, Ramon grinned in relay. "Why the long face, grumpy?"

Staring in shock at the child, he threw all sense of logic outta of his mind and he did the first thing the normal person did in that strangest situation...

...He fainted.

* * *

_— A mind all logic is like a knife all blade. It makes the hand bleed that uses it._—

_**TO BE CONTINUE…**_

…

…

…

**End of the Chapter IX**

* * *

Me: (grumbles) Who knew writing about Yamato's childhood life was this difficult than Khu and Lobo's? Will Yamato stay in the comforting memories of his childhood life he was once knew before that accident took everything from him or will he move on with his life in next stage? Time for sneak peek about upcoming Next chapter: **"The Mudha Stage" **

"_The second stage of Mudha, or known as a mind of confusion, it contained a youth's troubling thoughts." The child said coolly, his innocent mud-colored eyes targeted on the teen's back knowing that he was tense at his voice. "What are you hesitating? Are you afraid to face your demons?" _

_Yamato chuckled wryly. He afraid? Of his demons? Even although he is a demon, to be expect, a half one to scared of his demons from his past? He is not scared, not even slight..._

_So why he is hesitating? _

"_I..."_

_The sound of the arrow cut through the air, flying toward the frozen half-demon on the hill. _

"_YAMATO!" _

Please Review!


	12. The Mudha Mind

Disclaimer: I do not own Xiaolin Showdown and its characters… But I own my characters and wu(s).

Me: At last! I finally graduated at my college after seven years! Now I can be a bit relax, pacing at my time to look for a job to get enough money before going to another college to become my dream of animation!

Khu: Congratulations, Lizgon.

Yamato: Hell yeah! It's been a long time since she started at the first college! That's the first time I felt really damn good! (feeling pride at his creator)

Kobo: (smiles softly) Good job, Lady Liz Gon!

Me: Just Lizz, Kobo. (laughs)

Lobo: (grinning wolfishly) Let's get drink to the death!

Me: No. I had been tricked into drink that wine by one of my idiot friends and I ended up eating a whole pepper accidentally on a dare. (eye twitches in embarrassment) And writing this chapter is a lot difficult than I thought, DAMN YOU YAMATO! (pointing accusingly at Yamato who rolled eyes at this weak argument)

Yamato: (sarcastic) Oh? I thought writing a chapter about Khu's past too difficult for you?

Ciara: (chuckles) Well, readers, please read and enjoy this chapter!

* * *

…

…

…

_A past in behind of me, _

_A future in front of me._

_The wire line I'm walking on, _

_hesitating when I took a step._

_Time after time, _

_Memories after memories..._

_Those scars I was forced to carry_

_for the rest of my life.._

_I wonder who I truly am, _

_bearing a gold symbol on my hand..._

_A past in behind of me, _

_A future in front of me._

((_Previous Chapter))_

"It's been in a while, _Long Hair_!"

As he gawked at the familiar child with yellow eyes and familiar-looking scar-like claw marks on his left cheek who should be in adult and should be dead stood before him.

"... Shishido...?"

His arms locked behind his back, Ramon grinned in relay. "Why the long face, grumpy?"

Staring in shock at the child, he threw all sense of logic outta of his mind and he did the first thing the normal person did in that strangest situation...

...He fainted.

_((Current Chapter))_

* * *

**The Cursed Heart of Steel**

**Arc 3**

— _The Mudha Mind_ —

**Chapter X**

* * *

((A Dream))

"How about Matt?_" _

_That... is sound nice... The girl's voice remind me of the golden field of poppies... _

"Please don't forgot me, ok Matt?_" _

"…_.alright..."_

((Dreams End))

* * *

As Yamato slowly half opened his crimson eyes, staring at the starry night as he was lying on his back on the graveyard. _That dream... That's a lot different from my usual dreams... _

"Geez, when I say hello and all you did first thing is to faint. I thought you're suppose to be used to supernatural things?"

Yamato snapped his sharp eyes widened fully, turned his head to right sharply and noticed the grinning idiot man... no, not a man, a child. "Shishido! You're alive...?"

His cunning amber eyes sparkled at the purple-haired teen lying on the ground, Ramon grinned cheekily at him and then he lifted his finger, trilling disapprovingly at him. "That I am alive... and yet I am not." He chuckled with a devious grin.

Narrowing his eyes at the child, the half beast pushed him upward into sitting on the ground and crossed his legs in the Indian style. "What the hell do you mean! I don't even understand at all!"

"I'm alive in your own memories, _Long Hair_. As for why I'm not really alive, is because I'm only a fragment of your childhood memories." Ramon explained, grinning as he bounced all over the graveyard.. "Which is why you do not recognize the adult me."

He stopped at his track and then gave Yamato a strange, calm look. "...Unless you denied that you _knows_ him because he called you '_Long Hair_' at that old monk's temple."

Yamato stared at him, and then he glanced at his hands resting on his lap. _It just... startle me... I still haven't tell him that I... did recognize him at moment when he call me that loathsome nickname... _

He looked up at the starry night. "I don't remember _him_... sorry."

_After all it's just a forgotten memory... I was only four years old back then... I didn't remember that much until I moved to that town... and transfer into that school... _

_...and only thing I did remember was that stupid kid gave me a smile that is brighter than the sun. He do not have those gray-bluish furs and no wolf-pup ears on his head._

"All I remember is that _loathsome_ nickname he gave me back then..."

…_.all most thing he stand out in the crowds, is that eyes of his. Golden. Like a wolf. That is ironic, I made another friend that is also a wolf and the most lecherous person I have ever met in my live beside that card-loving idiot. _

"...and when he died in that battle, I don't ever say _good bye_ to him... just like I was a _child_, I don't even say good bye to him...Like I _don't get_ to say good bye to Mom and Dad either."

_The last thing I'll remembered him is looking at his back when he was going to fight his other self... He knew that I knew one day I would probably be the one to end him... without hesitating. He smiled the last smile before he was gone. _

"...But I'm glad... that was the _last_ nickname he gave me before he was gone." Yamato let his head fell onto his arms which was resting on his knees. "At the temple, I have a _bad_ feeling at moment when he called me that _loathsome _nickname... I felt it would be the last thing I _hate_ to hear from him."

…_. Yet I'm happy... to hear that nickname again... _

"...I'm sorry, Ramon." He whispered softly, his crimson eyes peering over his arms and at the spot where his old friend stood was replaced by a familiar-looking, old soccer ball that he popped on purpose in front of his unofficial best friend. "...And thank you."

Under the full moon, the half beast cried bitterly mourning for his childhood friend who was smiling sadly at him as the fragment of his memory disappeared in the swift of wind.

Suddenly, there was a white door emerged out of the air like a magic and stood before the kneeling boy. Blinking at it in surprise, Yamato slowly unclenched his fingers from wrapping his knees and pushed himself to stand up. "What the...?"

He didn't realize when he looked at the white door, the background of his first childhood memories dissolved into the darkness. Sighing heavy, the half beast stood in front of the white metallic door and staring at the silver knob. _This is the next door, that stupid old man told me about... But... I can feel a frightening aura surrounded this door... _

His hand hovered above the silver knob, hesitatingly as he bit his lower lip. _I really don't want to remember... I really don't want to see them..._

* * *

**(Flashback)**

"_Game over!" The game video said cheerfully, not realizing that it brought the scowling look from the child. "Try again."_

"_Matt?" _

…_.but only he saw the message flashed across the screen told him that game is over. "Aw Man!" _

"_Honey?"_

"_Are you excitedly to see your new house and probably your new school?" His mom asked, smiling gently at his son._

_His red-brown eyes softened at his mom's smile that he always loved it and can't stay to mad at them any longer. _

******(**Flashback)

* * *

"...What's stopping me from open this stupid door?" Yamato muttered angrily to himself, revolving the knob sharply and opened it as the light spilling freely from the seal, blinding him.

When the light faded away, it was the first thing he saw and it was his mother smiling so brightly to him. "Yamato!" She exclaimed excitedly as the white airplane in the background roared as it flew past them in the sky. "We're here!"

Yamato blinked, his brown-red eyes following his mother's point finger at the familiar-looking crowned statue dressed with a book and a torch. _So, I'm in America..._

* * *

_[...I wish I was back in my hometown...]_

* * *

Picking his traveling bag up from the ground, he ran after his parents to the rented car. That rented car would be soon to be their _death trap_...

The rented car is a type of the crossover automotive vehicle, a 2007 Saturn Outlook XR, and crimson colored, shined by the reflection of sunlight. It had only a driver seat, a passenger seat, and two seats in the back, coated with black leather. According to the boss of the rent car office, it's only about _ten_ years old and still working fine like _a good horse_.

* * *

_[There is no way I'm going to near those death trap machines!]_

* * *

"Where are we going to, now Dad?" He complained, scowling darkly at his father as he threw his traveling bag into the back trunk of the rented car joined with his parent's bags. "Why can't we just call them and have them pick us up instead of have to drive this thing."

"We're going to the Stewart Mansion." His father informed with a pleased smile. "We're going to see my old buddies before we're going to see our new house. Yamato? Stop calling this car a thing. It hurts her feeling." As he scolded at his son, patting gently on the car with over affection. "Good ol' girl, don't listen to the complains of my silly boy. You'll be good to us, alright?"

While his mother giggled with her soft hand hid her smile in amusement, Yamato makes a face. _Jeez! It's going to be so looooooong time... _

For once, he was right about driving from New York City to Wisconsin which it was where the Stewart Mansion was located in is indeed a long time to moving from the city to city. When the sun went down, the sky become night and the stars start appearing all over, glowing brightly in the darkness as the Zendi family had to stop at the inn.

On the inn bed, Yamato lay his back on it staring upward curiously at the Game Boy in his hands in the air and wondering what kind of the game slot in the handheld video game device. "Probably just something stupid. Like Mario World." He mumbled dryly, waving the Game Boy in the air.

Suddenly, his thumb accidentally switch the button on and the device started humming startled the boy. The screen lit up, revealing the title to him.

_Solar Striker_

_Push_

_Start Button_

_Top 00020000_

Blinking in surprise at this game, Yamato had known of that game before but he didn't know the Game Boy even have it too. _Look like fun. At least it's not Mario World. _With a determined smile, he started playing the game.

* * *

_[...It was my last game to play before that day...]_

* * *

In few days later, they arrived at the huge, finely onyx entrance passageway. As the boy gawked up at the gate, the guard in the blue suit with a similar blue cap on his head approached to his dad in the driver seat by the window, speaking something sound difficult to his ears.

"?" The guard asked, opening his palm toward to his dad when his dad looked troubled, but his mom interrupted with an innocent smile and replied back in the same language.

"!" The guard gaped in shock at her and then he bowed his head with his fist on his chest in respect as he apologized before he yelled back at his partner, gesturing to open the gate and the huge gate that Yamato was gaping at is now opened in dramatic way.

"Wow..." Yamato whispered under his breath, his parents didn't noticed at this as they drove through the gateway. "And, Mom, what are you talking to the guard?"

His mother turned to her son with a soft smile, "Oh, that's right, you didn't know the language. It's in _English_, son."

Yamato felt like he should palm-faced for not realizing, after all he WAS in the land of America and traveling with his parents, one of them knows English. _Ugh, I hate English. _

"Um... Mom, Dad, who are the family of Strew-art?" He hesitated, trying to remember the last name of the family.

"Son, it's _Stewart_." Dad chuckled, looking amused at the pronounce of his old friend's last name. His dad hoped that his son wouldn't offended their daughter and sons by mispronouncing her name. _Wait, then again, he isn't exactly good at manners around girls and boys... I hope it doesn't caused a bad blood between kids because of it..._

"...and we are staying at their house for a month. So be nice to their children, alright?" Dad added, looking at the mirror to glance if his son reacted to his words.

"...Children...?" Yamato blinked, his eye twitching at the thought. _Great, just great. I have to deal with them._

* * *

_[….When I first met the Stewart family, my first impression is that they're filthy rich and spoiled jerks. The boys found it fun to taunting me just because that I can't understand English.]_

* * *

The strange sound of the girl's curious voice draft into his ears as he jerked his head in a startle, staring in surprise at the beautiful young girl with bright golden hair that was curls in the twin ponytails around her waist and she was smiling at him.

"...Yamato Zendi, wasn't it?"

Yamato blinked and nodded distractingly, "_Shì._"

"I'm hoping that's a Yes?" The girl asked hopefully, kneeing on the golden grass next to the Chinese boy.

Averting his eyes away from the girl to the golden field in embarrassment, Yamato nodded awkwardly and replied with a barely noticeable accent. "_...Yes._"

The girl's soft green eyes lit up happily, clapping her soft hands together. "You do speak English! My brothers are wrong, implying that you are a hopeless simpleton that always angering our professors by your limited knowledges."

Disbelievingly, Yamato stared at her and dropping his chin onto his palm. _You do know how to compliment and insult me at same time, girl._

And also the girl seem to have read his thought and laughed freely, making him think of a singing bird soar through the blue sky above the golden field.

* * *

_[...it was this girl that I met in the golden field. She taught me English. If it weren't for her, I wouldn't be Matt...]_

* * *

"What about a deal..? I can teach you English so you can outwit my brothers... And I want to learn Chinese."

Turning his head back to see the girl with big green eyes full of hopes and determination, Yamato considered this deal and smirked, making the girl smile brightly back at him. _...I guess it could be considered a good payback to those jerks. _

"..._Yes_." He nodded laughing as the girl squealed happily, clenching her soft hands in pure happiness.

* * *

_[… She had a dream of to see the world outside of the mansion she called a prison. She asked me what my homeland like. She want to know if there are dragons and phoenixes roaming across China just like what she was reading about. I thought it was just a fantasy... A myth...]_

* * *

A month later, he was finally packing his stuffs into the familiar-looking traveling bag on the green blanketed bed. And then he picked the wooden picture frame and stared at it, it was the photograph of the Stewart and Zendi family. "Well... I guess I suppose the Stewarts aren't that all money-sucking rich jerks... except for that annoying twin jerks."

"Now, now, Yamato. Your words wounded us." A familiar voice taunted with an arrogant tone had the Chinese boy rolled his red-brown eyes and turned his head glaring at the twin sons standing at his doorway.

"Weren't we all friends and friends are suppose to friendly to each other?" A second voice added belong to other twin, laughing as his dark brown eyes flashed to his red-brown eyes.

"Jordan. Garrett." Yamato greeted coolly, glaring at the tallest, brown-haired amber-eyed boys in white suits. "What are you two doing here by my door, moneybags?"

"Well... We are here to see you off..." The first twin begin with a innocent smile, lifting his opened palm in the air.

"...it would be rude if we didn't say _farewell to our dear friend_..." The second twin added with a cheeky grin, crossing his arms.

"...So why don't we do what a friend suppose to do..."

"...To annoy the hell out of you until you won't forgot us!"

Suddenly, out of the nowhere, they pulled the water guns from their behind and squirting icy cold water at the startled Chinese boy, drenched his clothes and making his skin become goosebumps. Leaving him to grasp what was happening all sudden at once, his mouth was opened in shock at the laughing twins. _W-W-What the heck!_

Shivering, Yamato stared blankly at them as a vein popped on his forehead and gritting his teeth angrily. "_Why you DAMN FILTY MONEYBAGS!_"

"_Run, brother! He's pissed off!_"

"_Yes, brother, let's go!_"

With this, the duo run off laughing their head off wickedly as the red beet faced angry Chinese boy chased them through the hallways. "YOU ARE SO DEAD WHEN I GET A HOLD OF YOU, STUPID JERKS!"

* * *

_[….Those stupid twin jerks aren't all bad once you got know them. They gave me something I'd never forgot before I left. That stupid prank. It will be forever implanted in my memories. They said I'm only one, not only just their sister, to be able to tell which is who...even although they looks the same, even clothes and voices. I'm sure Lobo and Ramon would be their best friends...]_

* * *

Throwing the bags into the trunk of the rented car that his dad rent for traveling to Utah, Yamato huffed angrily, tagging his new shirt that his mom shopped for him. A red shirt with black hood.

"Yamato."

He turned his head to the soft voice in surprise, staring at the shy girl dressed in a British style. "...Altessa?"

"Please forgive my idiot brothers. They're just sad that you had to leave." Altessa smiled softly, lowering her green eyes to the ground. "Even if they treated you like that. It's like to have young brother to tease around."

Yamato sighed. "Even if it is, I am still pissed off at them."

Laughing, Altessa agreed with a sad smile. "When will you come to visit us? I'm sure it will be a long time I suppose."

Yamato stared at her and then at the sky, scratching his head in thought. "I...I didn't know... I didn't exactly good at making a friend even when I'm moving from house to house like that." He frowned, darting his red-brown eyes to her soft rich green eyes. "But it's worth to remembering them if I held that memory before I leave." His hand gripped the Game Boy tightly, catching the girl's attention to it.

"...I see..." The British girl smiled so wide and bright than what Yamato remembered. "... Your name is a little hard for me to pronounce..."

Yamato blinked in confusion at her.

"...What about Matt?"

The Chinese boy blinked again, frowning at the nickname she gave to him. "...Matt...?"

Altessa nodded, clapping her hands together quietly as her green eyes sparklingly against the shadows that the woods blocking the sunlight, toeing the ground with her new shoes nervously. "Yes. Even I may not know what the meaning of your name is, but I do know it's closer to Matt if I have to think about how sound like that with pronounce your name— "

"..._Matt_..." Yamato cut her off, tasting the new nickname in his tongue and a relaxed smile graced his face. "It does sound like a good nickname."

Stopped her rumbling, the girl looked up in surprise and staring at him for a second before she beamed that smile so brightly at him. "Thank you!"

Yamato closed his eyes, feeling the sunlight beating down at his skin and smelling the golden field. It was something he'd treasured in his memories and that was a girl's smile like a sun.

"Son! It is time to go now!"

Opening his red-brown eyes and then he looked back at Altessa. "If I said I promise to come back to see you, Altessa, then I would be lying... I'm not certain I'll come..." He trailed off, tucking his hands into his blue jeans. "But when I do, I'll be Matt." His red-brown eyes hardened as he declared his determination to come visit her mansion. "Once I do, I'll go see that grinning idiot and threw this Game Boy to his face!"

Altessa laughed. "That's the Matt I know!"

And then it was last time he heard her soft British accented voice that he wouldn't ever forgot for the rest of his life.

"Goodbye, Matt. Please don't forgot me..."

* * *

_[...When I left, I made a promise when I find out if there are dragons and phoenixes in my homeland...then I'll be the one to tell her it's not a dream... Even although, I don't know how long until I meet her again. It could be days, months... and even years. She could grow up and married, have children and grandchildren. And she wouldn't be able to recognize me after all I'm now a half demon...I don't know if she knows who I am right now...]_

* * *

"Why am I doing out here again?" Yamato grumbled in annoyance, his arms resting behind his head with his mooned eyes and a frown on his face.

"That's because you're helping me to fix this flat tire, son." His dad answered cheerfully, straining his arms to push downward the weird-looking hook-shaped tool into the flat tire metal wheel.

"..." Yamato glared hatefully at the back of his father. _What? Even although I'm doing nothing but watching you tweaking that stupid tire? _As the sound of the thunderstorm thundered in the distance, his mud-colored eyes peered upward at the gray-bluish clouds that seem gathering together in a slow pace. "...Just hurry up, Dad. Mom just repacked all foods from the store. I really don't like this place."

"Relax, Matt!" His Dad chuckled cheerfully, finally tweaked the last screw into the tire and place it into the tool box. "It's done, son!" And then he turned to his son with a proud grin. "And beside, you're really good at English! Even at 5 years old, going to be 6 in few months!"

Blinking in surprise at him, Yamato stuttered in embarrassment. "Just... nothing. It's just a challenge." A suspicious glance with a strange twinkle in his dad's eyes gave him a chill swept in his spine. "...Err..."

Suddenly, a sweet and soft female voice chimed floating into the males' ears as they turned to see the woman with many food bags she carrying with her and walked up to them with a beaming smile. "Oh? Sweetie, you fixed it already? That's wonderful! I can hardly wait to see what beautiful city looks like when we get there!"

His dad and Yamato glanced at each other in half horror and half amusement. _Oh man! I really don't want to see her being like this again if we're in the city... I refuse to remember what happen in New York City, it's embarrassing! _Their thoughts in union, gulping in fear.

* * *

_[...That was also that same night when we about to reach the city...]_

* * *

Yamato now back in teen, his apparition body floated slowly above the curve road and his crimson eyes locked at the broken road metal fence where the rented car his parents drove had been knocked through into the lakes and his parents were drowned to death. He didn't know how did he stay alive and not dead like them, but he had suspicious about how the ancestor spirit had somehow saved his life that day.

_If so, then why didn't he save his parents instead of just a small boy? _

He gritted in anger, as his shaking fists at his sides. "If you're there, you old one thousand five hundred years old bastard! Why just me? Why don't you save Mom and Dad?" He snarled, his ruby cat-like eyes darting around in the darkening, cold and wet mist as he stood on the black road. "_**WHY!**_"

"He's not here. He can't help you in this stage." A young, childish voice with a grumble tone behind his back as the teen whirled around in shock, his crimson eyes clashed into the familiar mud-colored eyes.

It was himself, but not the same one he met in the first dream. It was almost six years old himself in the same clothes as he had wore before the accident. "You..."

The young Yamato tucked his tiny hands into the pockets, looking up at the older version of him with a knowing look. "Yep."

"...This place must be something more than just a dream... more than just a memory, isn't that right?" The older Yamato said softly, narrowing his cat-like eyes suspiciously at the small boy. "...Matt?"

"_Bingo_. You're right." The small Yamato now known as Matt nodded approvingly at him. "You're now in danger right now, **Big Me**. The Other You is coming to stop you from completing this stage. Do you know what this stage is for, right?"

Yamato stared blankly at the small boy in small annoyance. H_e wasn't that smart mouth...right?_ "Well, Smart mouth, why don't you tell me what is it?" He snapped, crossing his arms across his chest with a troubled face.

Matt shot him a annoyed look. "Well, since I'm the one with all smart ass attitude you have before you meet Heylins, so I have to be the one to look after you!" He snapped back and then he closed his eyes with a tired sigh. "Since that day, you become more reckless and an half immortal demon idiot who prefers to kill first and ask later, too easy to ask for to be killed. Quite opposite of Master Young, ya know."

Yamato growled, but didn't rely.

"The second stage of Mudha, or known as a mind of confusion, it contained a youth's troubling thoughts." The child said coolly, his innocent mud-colored eyes targeted on the teen's back knowing that he was tense at his voice. "What are you hesitating? Are you afraid to face your demons?"

Yamato chuckled wryly. _He afraid? Of his demons? Even although he is a demon, to be expect, a half one to scared of his demons from his past? He is not scared, not even slight..._

So why he is hesitating?

"I..."

The sound of the arrow cut through the air, flying toward the frozen half-demon on the hill.

"YAMATO!"

* * *

_A dream is a nightmare. A nightmare is a dream. Reality is a fiction. A fiction is a reality. Which is whom. Whom is which. No one knows the difference._—

_**TO BE CONTINUE…**_

…

…

…

**End of the Chapter X**

* * *

Me: Wow, his dream now just become a nightmare! Will he escaped from his nightmare? Time for sneak peek about upcoming Next chapter: **"Interlude: Part I" **

"_Dojo." _

_The green legless dragon looked upon hearing his name being called and his childish amber eyes locked into the stern amethyst purple eyes which he knew belong to the cousin of the Wind Dragon, the Tiger of Darkness. _

"_If you can sense when the Dragons' powers revealed...If you can sense the Wu when Rai had activated it as he stole it from the Temple a year ago..." His face become determination and his eyes icier when he looked down at the cowering little dragon. _

"_If these were true... and then, Dojo..." _

_Dojo's amber eyes widened in mix of confusion and shock when he heard the next sentence escaped from the Heylin leader's lips. _

"_...Can you sense a Heylin Tiger?" _

Please Review!


	13. Interlude: Part I

Disclaimer: I do not own Xiaolin Showdown and its characters… But I own my characters and wu(s).

Me: My sister-in-law cheated on my brother and now my brother had no longer to be the same. (sigh sadly) I really hate to see his defeated look. I'd rather see his stupid goofy face than to see that look.

Ciara: Want me to hex your sister-in-law? (look hopefully) I've learned some tricks from my mentor Heylin Witch Wuya.

Me: Not yet. Until my brother get better, I'll let you do whatever you want with that woman I now have no desire to call my sister. (deadpan)

Yamato: (eyes widened) Wow, that's a deadly look I know. No wonder that's where Khu comes from! (got hit by a brick in the forehead)

Lobo: (look down at the unconscious half demon on the floor and then look at the readers) W-W-Well, Ladies and Gentlemen, enjoy the shows!

* * *

…

…

…

_Heart is such a fragile, _

_so easily to shatter._

_[-O-]_

_It didn't matter which, _

_words or actions to kill._

___[-O-]_

_Heart is such a fickle, _

_so easily to change._

___[-O-]_

_It didn't matter why, _

_happy or sorrow to see._

___[-O-]_

_Heart is such a conflict, _

_so easily to mess._

___[-O-]_

_It didn't matter what,_

_friends or enemies to dance._

___[-O-]_

_It's up to you decide,_

_What is a Heart to you._

* * *

((_Previous Chapter))_

"What did it to... no, _who_ did it to him?"

Khu narrowed his purple eyes, looking at his cousin and he wondered if he hadn't been on the dark side. Would he fight along side with his cousin? Or if his cousin had been remain on his dark side on the first time, would _he_ fight along with him?

"Would you believe me if I say there's _another one_ of you?"

Raimundo stared at him in shock.

_((Current Chapter))_

* * *

**The Cursed Heart of Steel**

**Arc 3**

— _Interlude: Part I_ —

**Chapter XI**

* * *

[Meanwhile...]

"_Would you believe me if I say there's another one of you?"_

Siting on the branch with his arms cradled his head staring lazily at the moving clouds among the blue sky, Raimundo can't help but let the confusing words echoed his mind. "What did he mean... there is a fifth dragon in this world?" He mumbled narrowing his forest colored eyes curiously. "As I recalled from what I read the scrolls in Xiaolin Library... We are the reincarnations of our ancestors and those are some complications, for an example, I'm a Dragon of Wind and yet I possessed a Lightning from a Heylin Tiger Shinyu. And if Xuan wasn't in exile, he would be still a official Tiger of Darkness and yet Khu end up as a next Tiger of Darkness."

He dangled one of his legs over the branch, swinging forth and back in a soft rhyme. "I didn't think there will be a next Dragon of Spirit now. Either for the next Tiger of Immortal, too. Not after what happen to Grand Master Dashi."

"Water, Fire, Wind, Earth, Lightning..." He counted his fingers, thinking deeply on the Dark War story. "Darkness, Light, Metal, Wood, Ice..."

When he had his palms now spread in the fingers, he curled his fingers back into the fists by counting again. "Sin would be Poison, Immortal would be Death, Spirit would be Life... What am I forgetting now?"

"Psyche would be Time." A sudden voice added below him, causing the green-eyed boy to look down at his cousin standing with his face look up back at him.

"Time? What a Psyche have something to do with Time?" The Wind Dragon questioned with an eyebrow raise past his hair. "I thought it will be like a... erm, Gravity?" Gesturing his hands in the air, he shrugged his shoulders in confusion.

"I didn't know how the works of the elementals." The Dark Tiger sighed, climbing up the tree to join with his cousin who moved to left, letting him to have his own space. "But I have a theory that the unknown Xiaolin Dragon don't aged, probably did something to cause his illusion to distort. Psyche and Time shared the same thing – Illusion. Or in your case, delusion... or illness, in Liz Gon's case."

"That's the reason why the scroll omitted him from the history of ancestors? I thought he died in the battle against the old demon dude." The Lightning hybrid mused, plopped his chin onto his palm to rest. "That's one messed up bastard, alright."

His purple eyes flew to his cousin's green eyes and then back to the sky, the silent leader nodded in agreement. "Yeah. From what I heard of what happening to Gojo, there is another dragon than that idiot fat trickster, a wu-sensing coward and the pink housemaid. This time, it's a red one that companying the Dragon of Psyche, isn't it?"

"Yep." The devious leader hummed, swinging his now both legs enjoying the feeling of a small zephyr. A long silence stretched across the air between the cousins swore to be lifetime enemies on two different sides of the same coin.

"...Rai..."

The playful Brazilian shot his head in a mix of surprise and curious at his cousin with his jade eyes. It's a bit rare for his cousin to call him his nickname. "Yea?"

A lone green-shaded leaf danced in the tiny swirl of air in the front of the two cousins sitting in the tree. The sunlight peeking through the leaves of the forest, looking down at the Pedrosa children. The noises of the circus animals were heard across the hills.

"Why don't you tell me how did that wu-sensing dragon of yours found you?"

The knavish football lover blinked at the quiescent tea-drinking fighter as the leaf suddenly fell onto the ground. In his pained eyes, he remembered his mistake in the past. In his mind, he can hear accusing words from his friends when he betrayed them that day and also he can hear the horrible laughing from the witch in flesh. "...Well..."

* * *

[In the unknown forest]

The sleeping hunter in the hundred years old ancient oak tree, his left arm rested across his stomach while his right arm shielded half of his face away from the sunlight that was peeking through the leaves. His right leg on the branch while his left leg dangling lazily over the branch, swinging in the air.

And Yuushi dreamt.

"_You're going to be a demon hunter?" The small boy blinked looking up at the orange-eyed teenage boy, as he walked along with him adjusting his bag to his liking. "And you said you'll taking me to the temple you're heard so much a rumor about the Grandmaster."His eyes blinked, at which the orange-eyed boy couldn't tell what colors he barely see. _

"_Yeah, after training, I'll be strong enough to kill that demon." He gave him a unreadable smile. "And I'm fine. I refuse to be a member of that temple, but you can if you want, kiddo." _

_The small boy silent in his thoughts he can't seem to be able to read his expressions. _

"_Hello! Welcome to the Grandmaster Xiao Lin's schooling temple, young warriors!" The old priest greeted warmly, his light blue eyes peering through his heavy, long white eyebrows with a grandfather smile. _

_Clutching his old bag in his dirty-looking hands, the small boy looked up with a stunned look at the stranger stood on the top of the temple before him. He glanced back at his dear friend behind his back, with surprised look in his orange eyes when the teen looked at the priest. He turned his head back to the priest, feeling timid. _

"_Uh... Is this place for training the warriors to become Dragons and Tigers where I am told to head at?" The small boy asked, holding his bag in a slight fear as he can feel the hands on his shoulders of his dear friend with orange eyes whose he didn't know much about. _

_The old priest looked down at the small boy with a surprise blink before he grinned, his blue eyes flickered from the small boy to the young man who narrowed at his direction. "Yes... That orange eyes you have, young man... You must be a son of the time wizard." _

_**That Time...**_

_Since he spent the small boy he guided to this temple, he had nothing to do with all members of this place. He don't even need them to tame the illness he was born to be cursed with. Stomping through the garden with a silent curse, the orange eyed young man strolled around the koi pond. _

"_What is your name, young one?" _

_The boy stopped at his tracks, turned around slowly and looked at the old man in the old torn-looking robes smiling gently down at the young teen. _

"_I... am Yuushi." He hesitated, smoothing his traveler clothes in warily of the sudden appearance of the poor-looking monk, not much noble like the priests at the temple. _

_The old man smiled. _

"_Hn. I'm your instructor, dozo yoroshiku (treat me kindly)! I'm probably not a weak monk as I looked as you think, so be on your guard, kid." _

_Stunned at the familiar tongue of his native homeland he was born in before his family move to China, Yuushi stared in disbelief at the old monk. "SINCE WHEN I END UP BECOMING A MEMBER OF THIS TEMPLE, OLD MONK?" _

_The small boy in the temple holding the bars, peering worriedly down through the window he was hanging on at them, smiled the same smile that Yuushi greeted him._

…_**When I become a member of this temple...**_

_Ten year later, Yuushi and the small boy, that he has somehow brought as a tag-along who now become a teenager, had meet the famous warriors-in-training at the training area on the first time. He found out hard way to befriend them... _

"_**Who the hell are you, brat?" **_

_The almost an adult-like teenager twitched at the nickname he strongly disliked, raising an eyebrow in annoyance at another old tallest teenager scowling down at him. Curses at his short height!_

_That's one thing he would never forgot that crude eyes. _

"_The name's Anakin... And I'm not a Brat, stupid." He introduced himself, trying to be as strong as he looked and his head tilted upward, glaring at the red-colored long purple haired man who was snickering softly at his attempt to be tough. _

_Yuushi sighed, rubbing his forehead suddenly feeling an upcoming headache. His orange eyes sharpened when he saw the lone, brown haired man with a blue feather sit alone away from the tough warrior walks loud like a heavy stone, the wolf warrior looks like a real pervert, the laughing warrior sound like as if she's the wind and the warriors with green eyes and a lighting staff._

_Who was that man? Why do he sit so far and be alone from his companions? _

_Hearing the loud sharp noise, he turned his head and was greeted by a sight of the cowering tall man before the scolding light blue haired woman with her fists on her hips while the green-eyed trickster and the white haired pervert laughing together, holding their stomachs. And, Anakin... who was red-faced with a gaping in shock at her. _

_Yuushi smiled the smile._

_**...I met them...**_

"_So my power's Psyche. What's your power, eh?" _

_The grinned teen beamed toward the quiet teen in the corner, ignoring all other parties in the gathering room. The quiet teen shot him a startle look for a second before his face fell, looking down at the floor in a gloomy way. _

_The grinned teen now frowned at his silent behavior. _

"_It's...the Chakra, or 'Mind'... and I shouldn't have been the one with all powers of the elementals." Anakin muttered, drawing his legs to his chest and wrapping around them with his sleeveless, bared arms. _

"_What do you mean? That's great! You're the strongest warrior who could have been a Dragon or a Tiger for all I know! You have a great destiny!" Yuushi exclaimed excitedly, grabbing the small warrior's shoulders and shaking him gently. _

"_No... Not what I meant..." He looked up with his now startling pale purple eyes, almost to the white making Yuushi wonder if Anakin was now blind. "The Masters are planning to have me take Xuan's place... as a Tiger of Darkness. They asked me to take the darkness back from him." _

_Yuushi stared blankly down at him, the corner of his eyes as he caught the familiar figure rushed angrily out of the Masters's discussing room into the outside. "...Wha..." His orange eyes widened in shock. "They're banishing him away... Why?"_

_Anakin looked up with that smile Yuushi was startled to see._

_**...I should have regret knowing them... **_

"_Yo, Anakin! Anakin! ….Beansprout... You look like... out of it, just like that crazy Yuushi?" _

_Same voice called to the sulking teen as the teen glared viciously, holding his pain. Why he have to be updated from Brat to Beansprout? Another insult to his pride about his height again!_

"_What the hell? I'm not that short... You should be a freaking giant, welding the giant ass chop-sword with a meaning name of water that shouldn't belong to you as a metal tiger!" Anakin complained, glaring daggers at the smirking Kousei with his white purple eyes as the young boy gestured rudely at the green-blue sword that giant hold on one of his shoulders. _

_The bastard grinning, bared his almost fangs down at him with that oversized sword on his right shoulder. Hope he got killed by something stupid! Drown in something stink swamp or buried alive in mud-sliding land._

_Kousei laughed. "Must be Yuushi's illness rubbed off on you! You sound much like him rather than that exiled traitor!" _

_Anakin's eyes flickered around anxiously, wanting to get away from the idiot sword-wielder. When the Dragon of Psyche's name was mentioned, he froze halting his hand that was about to rub his forehead causing the metal holder's sharp eyes. _

"_What's wrong, beansprout? You look like you..." Kousei's suspicious voice was cut off as the 'Tiger of Darkness' flew hurriedly past him with what it sound like an excuse. "...when Yuushi was having his mental issue..." _

"_Sorry! I must get going before my sensei got mad for me being late!" _

_The red-colored man stared in confusion at the dust clouds left behind his tracks. "...stupid short shack..." And he sees Yuushi and the Mistress of Immortal talking to each other in quiet voice, walking out to the garden. _

"_That creepy smile." The Tiger of Metal scoffed, seeing the odd expression on the Dragon of Psyche as he tried to calm the angered mistress down. "It always freaked me out." As he left the garden quietly, he can't help but worry about that little boy he come to know in years._

_**But...**_

"_...he died...? I see, so it's the first death in the final battle... At least you will live after this time, Anakin." Yuushi was unsurprised when he was informed by the panting messager and smiles softly, Anakin had never seen so much fake in that smile. _

_Stupid Kousei Zalo, he shouldn't rush into the first battle without thinking it will be cause of his death..._

_The boy stopped at the track, looking back at the older warrior walked past him. He tugged his lip downward, in confusedly, started to walking toward the teen again. "Yuushi!"_

"_...I might have no longer live forever, just not like you expect me to after the war with Heylins, even although I'm not really a Heylin of Darkness! And Lady Liz Gon says that you're too sick to be in that state if you keep using that power of yours! You're not too well, Yuu-"_

_The next thing the teen knew, that kid collapsed. _

"_Anakin!" Yuushi exclaimed in horror, rushing down to turn the faced down boy to his back on the floor. "Anakin!" _

"_...I... guess... I'm not too strong.. to hold your chakra back... to spare your.. life..." Anakin smiled weakly, his right hand holding the dear friend's hand in a deathly grip. "I.. ignored Lady Liz Gon's warning. I know... the risks... if I do this..."_

"_Do what, Anakin?" Yuushi pleased shakily, his oranges eyes swelled with tears at the dying kid in his arms. "What do you mean? I don't even understand at all!" _

"_...I don't...want to...be alone..." _

"_Anakin!" His fading white purple eyes met his weeping orange eyes. All Anakin could think with his brain throbbing in pain so agonizingly, he could want to reach out and..._

"_...so...we'll...be together... as always... I'll see you... in your memories..." The Tiger of Chakra lifted his left hand slowly and weakly, reaching for Yuushi's forehead and then he tapped it softly with a unreadable smile. _

"_Wudai Mind, Chakra. Illusion Breaker."_

_Next thing he knew, there was a blinding white as he could felt not only his memories, but all of his body being dissolved. _

_**...I wonder which one of us soon came to the point of where one of us didn't know whether one of our smiling face was a lie or not...**_

"_Yuushi...?"_

"_Yuushi...!"_

"_YUUSHI!"_

"_**YUUSHI!"**_

"WAKE UP YOU STUPID SHORTY BRAT, YUUSHI!"

His eyes quickly opened wide in shock, the demon hunter looked up at the angry-looking red snake glaring down at him. "Wha... Xiu." He frowned threateningly at her, grunting as he adjusted his resting spot after being awakened rudely by a stupid fire-breathing lizard. "What is the reason why you should wake me up?"

Her anger fading, Xiu looked down uncomfortably for a strange reason, her sharp jade eyes darting around in the forest other than him. "You felt just a different, only for a second. As if you are someone I didn't know." Her eyes flew back to his orange eyes, she readied herself for something Yuushi didn't understand what. _Almost as if you were fading away and I didn't know what to do._

"What happened to you?" She asked locking her claws together anxiously, raising upward like a worried cobra.

Sitting up suddenly, Yuushi dangled his legs over the branches and lifted the compass-like Wu in the air as the sunlight reflected onto the golden cuticle. His orange eyes looked far-away in distant as if he was remembering a important memory.

**[Flashback]**

"Tch! So what if you are a Xiaolin Dragon of Psy-whatever! I am a Heylin Tiger of the Metal. We are meant to fight each other, as a Heylin against a Xiaolin!" The hot-headed half demon spat, shift into his fighting stance.

**[Flashback End]**

"...That demon..." Yuushi suddenly spoke as if he was thinking out loud, startling Xiu. "He talked as if he saw me as a Xiaolin."

Xiu snorted. "Well, You ARE a Xiaolin Dragon of Psyche after all!" A red small dragon paused, scattering down the tree to the ground, leaving Yuushi to his dark thoughts. "You're destined to fighting a Heylin, no matter what era you're living in."

_Then why am I feel like that I'm not a Xiaolin Dragon anymore...? _He clutched the golden compass digging into his palm in a slight pain, his eyes closed tightly in a hint of anger. _Why is that my mind hurting for some reason? _

"...Anakin..."

* * *

[Back to the Pedrosa's Circus]

"Dojo."

The green legless dragon looked upon hearing his name being called and his amber eyes locked into the amethyst purple eyes which he knew belong to the cousin of the Wind Dragon, the Tiger of Darkness.

"If you can sense when the Dragons' powers _revealed_...If you can sense the Wu when Rai had _activated_ it as he stole it from the Temple..." His face become determination and his eyes icier when he looked down at the cowering little dragon.

"If these were _true_... and then, Dojo..."

Dojo's amber eyes widened in mix of confusion and shock when he heard the next sentence escaped from the Heylin leader's lips.

"...Can you _sense_ a Heylin Tiger?"

The green serpent waved his tiny clawed paws in protest, his golden eyes widened in surprise. "Wait, wait, wait! Didn't Gojo have that sense? Why don't you go to my brother?"

Khu raise an eyebrow at him. "He's sleeping now. Beside, he's too injured to take me anywhere, let along to transform into full mode. You are only one, other than Chuckle Doo."

"It's Chucky Choo." Dojo mumbled one of his eyelids twitching, his claws flicking anxiously. "What about other dragons, too?"

Unimpressed at the little dragon's stalling, the dark warrior crossed his arms across his chest in annoyance and his purple eyes become even more icier making the poor little serpent panic. "I'm waiting, Dojo."

Hanging his reptile-like head, Dojo transformed into a forty-feet larger dragon with dark green mane-like ears, a long red goat-like fur beard on his chin, two same red furs on his elbows, and yellow scaled fins on his back. His much more sharp golden slitted eyes peered down at the now small human on the ground and his voice rumbled softly.

"_Alright, then. Let's get ready, pick your things!_"

Apparently satisfied, Khu let out what almost sounded like a sight of relief before turning back to the black chest he brought from his master's temple, it was hold all of his Shen-gong-wu. A _Shadow Blade_ that can't cut flesh, but can cut through anything. A _Dragon's Fang Blade_ is quite good with _Kage Oni_ for his elemental dark Wudai attack, but it can be a difficult challenge to control it firmly.

"Which one I will need for a trip?" The Tiger of Darkness muttered to himself, eyeing at each of his tools to use correctly with his darkness.

"Didn't I suppose you'll able to use this one?" A teasing voice chuckled behind him, the Dragon of Wind grinned reaching into the chest and picked the one up as Khu now reconfirmed it as one of the Shen-gong-wu his brother had during the fight with Wraith.

_Youkai Claws_

One of the four Shen-gong-wu were used to somehow killing the Balance (the first Hei) and splitting the Original Lycan, creating Ramon (a reborn, lazy werewolf) and Lycan (a immortal, vengeful werewolf) while leaving a shell of the weak, powerless Balance known as Hei which was suppose to be a second Balance. Yamato told him about the _Spear of Balance_, wasn't he? They died on the same night... Come to think of it, it did really sound like it's complicating the real story than Khu thought.

It was _rumored_ to have a power of a legendary demon, the _Yurei_. Gojo says if you used it with _Youkai Claws_ with Darkness, you'll be _untouchable_ even more in a dark _Wudai_ form. _Youkai_ may means _demon_, but also it means _ghost_ as well.

Khu chuckled wryly, accepting the demon wu from his cousin as his dark-purple eyes flew upward to his cousin's dark-green eyes. "That's a good choice."

"I'm coming with you."

Surprised at the dragon of wind's sudden change of tone from playful to grim, the tiger of darkness got to his feet looking sternly to his cousin. "No. You can't fight him when he is almost at the master level. Not even a Shoku."

Raimundo gripped the familiar blue blade in his right hand, his green eyes full of determination and a hint of an unexplainable look on his face that Khu didn't fully understand. "As the Xiaolin Dragon, it's my responsibility to stop him! So what if I am not a Master? So what if I am not good enough? It didn't matter anymore, Khu. You're a Heylin Tiger, sure. A Dark Shoku leader, of course. It's your duty to fight a Xiaolin Dragon..."

He stepped forward. "But, I'm still Xiaolin Dragon, a Shoku leader who have a power of Lightning from one of my ancestor. To that crazy bastard, that means I'm also a Heylin Tiger of Lightning. I'll knock some sense into that bastard no matter what I have to do in that condition. I don't care if you say no, I'm still going!"

Khu stared at him in shock for a moment and then he closed his eyes, chuckling softly as he felt a odd sense of a mix of pride and defeat swelled inside his heart. _You... You are already matured so much than I thought. It made me even regret all things I missed with my cousin before becoming a Heylin Tiger. _

"Hn. You're still got a long way to go." He said as he turned back to the waiting green dragon, hiding a smile when he heard a cheer from his cousin. "Let's go, Rai."

_I'd like to look forward to see your growth when we get to battle each other one day._

* * *

[Back to Yuushi and Xiu]

Hours later...

Stopping at the track, his orange eyes fixed on the golden compass wu held in his palm. The red dragon rest on his shoulders, peering down to the wu. "What is it?" She asked cautiously, after her dear rider was acting oddly since that dream.

"I got a company coming." He answered monotonously.

Noticing the large shadow flying past him, Yuushi looked up with a slight surprise. He saw a Xiaolin Dragon wearing a familiar robe of the light Shoku and a Heylin Tiger wearing the same, but in the dark Shoku. Two leaders of two groups on the opposite side, riding together on the Wu-sensing Temple Guardian dragon.

_Riding together? _The hunter thought to himself, surprised at the sight. _I thought it was just a fluke. What happened to their deep grudge from fifteen hundred years ago?_

"I was right." The dark Shoku stated, looking down with his icy purple eyes as he started to stand up on the green dragon's back, gripping one of the dragon's ears for a support. "A true lost cause to the Xiaolin Dragons...a long lost and forgotten Dragon of Psyche."

"...I know who you are..." The orange-eyed hunter narrowed his eyes remembering the lone memory he stumbled across when he was mind crushed the foolish half-demon, turned sharply to face the dark leader of the tigers. "...a holder of the darkness, cousin to the wind and lightning."

"Asesino _Khu_ Pedrosa."

* * *

_A heart of gold can forgive, a heart of steel can stand, and a heart of black can kill. _—

_**TO BE CONTINUE…**_

* * *

…

…

…

**End of the Chapter XI**

* * *

Me: Tch. As usual, Khu's back in game again. Time for sneak peek about upcoming Next chapter: **"The Vikshipta Base" **

"_...Khu." Yamato's crimson eyes widened in horror at the sharp, pointy golden arrow aim at his heart and the archer before him was the mid-adult Khu with the dark gray cloak and light gray scarf around his neck, holding the bow and arrow in his fingerless black gloved hands._

_Why did Khu in dress like that suddenly reminded him of that bastard Yuushi?_

_His cold eyes stared down at him, as Yamato couldn't move due to his sudden fear. And then his worst nightmare come true... _

"_...Die." _

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